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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mark — a grade
  12. perch — the fish
  13. hand — help
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. charge — in control
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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