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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. charge — in control
  3. object — an aim
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. court — of a king
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. charge — a price
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. court — for sport
  12. object — to protest
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. scale — in music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bass — low music
  19. object — a thing
  20. court — of law
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bass — the fish

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