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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. charge — a price
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spell — a short time
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. spell — magic
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kick — in football
  15. spell — letters
  16. charge — in control
  17. board — a committee
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — to get on
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com