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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bat — the animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bulb — for light
  19. charge — a price
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mouse — the animal
  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