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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. charge — a price
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ball — a dance
  15. roll — a list
  16. charge — in control
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mouse — for a computer

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