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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. charge — a price
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. charge — in control
  8. shower — rain
  9. club — a group
  10. court — of law
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mug — a face
  13. drill — army training
  14. charge — electricity
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mug — to rob
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. club — for golf
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mark — a grade

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