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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. charge — a price
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pass — a permit
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. can — a tin
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rock — music
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. charge — in control
  20. rock — a stone
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. scale — in music
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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