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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — a price
  4. spring — a coil
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. charge — in control
  7. spring — the season
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. court — of law
  12. deal — to handle
  13. court — for sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — of water
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. court — of a king

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