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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. charge — a price
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. kick — in football
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. shower — rain
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. roll — a list
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. court — for sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chip — for betting
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. charge — in control
  19. shower — to wash
  20. charge — electricity
  21. court — of law
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. chip — to eat
  24. court — of a king

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