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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · scale · bulb · cap · foot · pop · charge · cell

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. charge — a price
  3. pop — soda
  4. bulb — for light
  5. charge — in control
  6. pop — to visit
  7. scale — in music
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pop — music
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rush — hurry
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cap — a lid
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rush — a thrill

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