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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. firm — steady
  3. season — of the year
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — help
  6. band — a ring
  7. can — to be able to
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. can — a tin
  13. hand — in cards
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. band — a music group
  19. plane — a tool
  20. scale — in music
  21. firm — decided
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. plane — an aircraft

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