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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. charge — electricity
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. ball — a great time
  11. charge — in control
  12. present — there
  13. kid — to tease
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. chip — for betting
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. present — a gift
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kid — child
  22. wax — to grow
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ball — a round shape

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