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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. charge — a price
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hand — in cards
  7. charge — in control
  8. bulb — for light
  9. row — a line
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. court — of a king
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — for sport
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. row — to paddle
  17. charge — electricity
  18. hand — help
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. court — of law
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. pass — to succeed

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