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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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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. court — for sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. game — wild animals
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. stand — to bear
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. charge — a price
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. court — of a king
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — a match
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. court — of law
  24. stand — for spectators

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