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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. charge — in control
  3. charge — electricity
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. charge — a price
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spell — letters
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ground — crushed
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ground — a position
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — music
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — to handle

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