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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. court — of law
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a line of people
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rest — a break
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. file — a document
  13. chip — for betting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. file — a tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chip — to eat

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