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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cell — in biology
  4. charge — in control
  5. bark — to shout
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stock — goods
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. charge — a price
  15. scale — in music
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cell — a phone
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stock — shares
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cell — in a prison

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