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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rash — a series
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — a hint
  9. charge — a price
  10. court — of law
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cue — for pool
  14. charge — in control
  15. cap — a lid
  16. tube — a container
  17. rash — hasty
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. cap — of ice
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. cap — a hat

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