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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rest — what's left
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rest — what's left
  7. court — of a king
  8. squash — to crush
  9. spring — a coil
  10. can — a tin
  11. charge — a price
  12. can — a tin
  13. charge — in control
  14. spring — the season
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. court — for sport
  19. rest — a break
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. squash — the sport
  22. tube — a container
  23. charge — electricity
  24. spring — of water

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