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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. court — of law
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. court — of a king
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — rain
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bulb — for light
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — electricity
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. shower — to wash
  19. charge — a price
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. court — for sport
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. deal — to handle

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