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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. net — for catching
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. net — in sport
  5. track — a song
  6. charge — in control
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — to eat
  10. charge — a price
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. net — after costs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. mouse — the animal

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