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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · mouse · rest · present · scale · charge · rock · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. rock — music
  3. present — there
  4. game — a match
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rest — a break
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rock — a stone
  13. present — the time now
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — in control
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. scale — size or range
  19. charge — electricity
  20. present — a gift
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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