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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. net — for catching
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. net — after costs
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bound — tied together
  12. board — a committee
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pop — music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. court — for sport
  17. pop — soda
  18. bound — certain
  19. pop — to visit
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. net — in sport
  23. bulb — for light
  24. board — to get on

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