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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. court — of a king
  5. game — a match
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mug — a face
  8. charge — in control
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mug — to rob
  13. court — of law
  14. pop — soda
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pop — to visit
  17. charge — a price
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pop — music
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. court — for sport

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