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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: bore · rule · clip · scale · charge · key · mate · cell

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  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 — for weighing
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rule — government
  5. scale — in music
  6. mate — to breed
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. scale — size or range
  10. charge — a price
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bore — to drill
  13. charge — in control
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. mate — a friend
  18. clip — for paper
  19. cell — a phone
  20. key — in music
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rule — a law
  23. clip — a video
  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