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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. march — the month
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spring — the season
  6. charge — a price
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. court — of law
  10. march — the month
  11. date — the fruit
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cap — a hat
  16. spring — a coil
  17. march — music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. court — of a king
  21. spring — of water
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. court — for sport
  24. charge — in control

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