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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. scale — size or range
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. bound — tied together
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bound — obliged
  13. hand — help
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. charge — in control
  16. bound — certain
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. shower — rain
  20. scale — in music
  21. march — the month
  22. shower — to wash
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mug — a face

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