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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. charge — electricity
  3. court — of law
  4. mine — for digging
  5. court — for sport
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. charge — a price
  8. court — of a king
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cap — of ice
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. charge — in control
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. rest — a break
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mine — an explosive

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