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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. row — to paddle
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pop — music
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — a phone
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cell — in biology
  14. row — a line
  15. pop — soda
  16. spring — the season
  17. band — a ring
  18. charge — a price
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. band — a music group
  21. spring — of water
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pop — to visit
  24. band — a rubber band

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