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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. craft — boats
  3. mate — a partner
  4. firm — decided
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. charge — in control
  12. cold — an illness
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. charge — electricity
  18. firm — a company
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. firm — steady
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mate — to breed
  24. craft — a handicraft

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