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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ball — a great time
  3. spring — of water
  4. court — for sport
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. mug — a face
  8. court — of a king
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rash — hasty
  11. charge — electricity
  12. mug — a cup
  13. net — in sport
  14. pop — soda
  15. charge — a price
  16. pop — music
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. spring — the season
  20. court — of law
  21. pop — to visit
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ball — a dance

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