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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. land — ground
  4. bass — the fish
  5. cue — for pool
  6. court — of a king
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a cup
  9. field — a subject
  10. bass — low music
  11. charge — in control
  12. court — for sport
  13. field — for sport
  14. charge — electricity
  15. field — farmland
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. land — a country
  18. charge — a price
  19. cue — a signal
  20. land — to come down
  21. court — of law
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. cue — a hint

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