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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. last — finally
  3. charge — in control
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. charge — a price
  10. last — to go on
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. dip — to sink
  13. content — the amount
  14. scale — in music
  15. bass — low music
  16. last — final
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. content — happy
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. charge — electricity

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