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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. charge — a price
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. last — finally
  12. scale — in music
  13. last — final
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. scale — size or range
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. charge — in control
  21. game — wild animals
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. last — to go on
  24. scale — for weighing

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