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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. land — a country
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. charge — a price
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bass — the fish
  13. hand — help
  14. land — ground
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. land — to come down
  18. charge — in control
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bass — low music

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