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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. track — a path
  8. mark — a grade
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bulb — for light
  11. track — a song
  12. mark — a trace
  13. scale — size or range
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cell — in biology
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. charge — a price
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. scale — in music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bulb — for light

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