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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. stem — to come from
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rock — music
  5. game — wild animals
  6. object — a thing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — an aim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. charge — a price
  15. game — a match
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. tear — from crying
  18. object — to protest
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rock — a stone
  22. scale — in music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. scale — size or range

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