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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rest — a break
  5. spring — of water
  6. charge — in control
  7. rest — what's left
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spring — a coil
  12. charge — a price
  13. rock — a stone
  14. club — a group
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spring — the season
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. club — for golf
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rock — music
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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