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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · plane · charge · scale · bass · rule · spell · game

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. scale — size or range
  3. tube — the underground
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. spell — letters
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. tube — a container
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. game — a match
  10. rule — a law
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rule — government
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. charge — in control
  18. spell — magic
  19. plane — a tool
  20. spell — a short time
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. charge — electricity
  24. scale — in 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