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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. present — there
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of a king
  6. present — the time now
  7. race — humankind
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ball — a great time
  11. race — a contest
  12. cap — a lid
  13. charge — electricity
  14. present — a gift
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. race — the arms race
  17. can — to be able to
  18. court — for sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. court — of law
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cap — of ice
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. can — a tin

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