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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. charge — electricity
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. charge — a price
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. prune — to trim
  10. charge — in control
  11. key — in music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mark — a trace
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rash — a series
  16. game — wild animals
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rash — hasty
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. key — the most important part
  23. game — a match
  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