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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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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: pop · charge · jam · mine · bat · scale · cabinet · ground

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. mine — for digging
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ground — crushed
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pop — to visit
  13. charge — a price
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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