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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. club — a group
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. club — for golf
  13. charge — in control
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. court — of a king
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bat — the animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. charge — a price

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