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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. charge — in control
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spell — letters
  7. shower — to wash
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. spring — of water
  11. shower — rain
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rock — a stone
  17. charge — electricity
  18. spell — magic
  19. charge — a price
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fork — in a road
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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