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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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. chest — a box
  2. charge — a price
  3. scale — in music
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ground — a position
  7. bark — to shout
  8. charge — in control
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ground — crushed
  13. charge — electricity
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chest — of your body
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chest — of your body
  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