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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. court — of a king
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. face — to point toward
  8. season — of the year
  9. charge — in control
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. charge — a price
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rule — a law
  14. face — to confront
  15. swing — music
  16. rule — government
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. face — part of the head
  20. season — in sport
  21. court — of law
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — to play on
  24. court — for sport

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