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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. saw — the tool
  3. charge — in control
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. file — a tool
  8. mark — a grade
  9. court — for sport
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — a price
  18. ball — a dance
  19. charge — electricity
  20. file — a document
  21. ball — a great time
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. file — a line of people

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