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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. court — for sport
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. squash — the sport
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pop — soda
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. charge — electricity
  11. court — of law
  12. game — a match
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — to breed
  20. court — of a king
  21. charge — a price
  22. squash — to crush
  23. charge — in control
  24. mate — a partner

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