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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pop — music
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. court — of law
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. court — of a king
  7. cap — a hat
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cap — of ice
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. charge — electricity
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. cap — a lid
  17. court — for sport
  18. pop — soda
  19. tube — a container
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. tube — in a tire

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