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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. charge — a price
  3. can — to be able to
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. row — to paddle
  7. can — a tin
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. dip — to sink
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. ball — a great time
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. row — a line
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. charge — in control
  17. ball — a dance
  18. club — for golf
  19. can — a tin
  20. club — for dancing
  21. charge — electricity
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. club — a group
  24. dip — to dunk

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