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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: pound · wave · tube · charge · swing · scale · pit · mine

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. charge — in control
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. charge — a price
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. scale — size or range
  17. tube — a container
  18. scale — in music
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pit — in a race
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. swing — music

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