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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. game — a match
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — completely
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chip — for betting
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. charge — in control
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — a grade
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. charge — a price

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