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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: bat · charge · mouse · key · ground · scale · band · mug

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. scale — in music
  5. mug — to rob
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. scale — size or range
  8. charge — in control
  9. ground — the earth
  10. key — in music
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mug — a cup
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mug — a face
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. ground — crushed
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ground — a position

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