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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 120 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. court — for sport
  4. rush — hurry
  5. charge — in control
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. charge — electricity
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pop — soda
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. tube — the underground
  14. charge — a price
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. court — of law
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. tube — a container
  21. staff — employees
  22. court — of a king
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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