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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. court — of a king
  3. charge — in control
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. court — for sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — of law
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pound — a weight
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. pop — soda
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pop — music
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. charge — a price
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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