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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pop — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. charge — in control
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pop — to visit
  7. drill — army training
  8. charge — electricity
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. drill — the tool
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — a gift
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — the time now
  21. charge — a price
  22. foot — a measure
  23. present — there
  24. pop — soda

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