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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 120 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.

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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pop — soda
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. charge — a price
  9. pop — music
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rash — a series
  12. mark — a trace
  13. charge — in control
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. game — a match

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