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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. charge — electricity
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. charge — in control
  6. ball — a dance
  7. charge — a price
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. saw — the tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bat — the animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mark — a grade
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mark — a trace
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. temple — a place of worship

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