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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. court — for sport
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hand — in cards
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. club — a group
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. club — for golf
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. court — of a king
  20. charge — in control
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. court — of law
  23. hand — help
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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