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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. charge — electricity
  3. court — for sport
  4. sharp — clever
  5. charge — a price
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pop — music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pop — to visit
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. charge — in control
  17. court — of law
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fine — high quality
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rush — hurry
  23. court — of a king
  24. ruler — for measuring

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