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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — in control
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stock — shares
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stock — goods
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. shower — rain
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mark — a grade
  17. scale — in music
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. charge — a price
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. charge — electricity
  24. foot — the bottom

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