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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kid — to tease
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mark — a trace
  8. charge — in control
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. squash — to crush
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitch — completely
  13. court — of law
  14. charge — a price
  15. court — for sport
  16. game — a match
  17. kid — child
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. court — of a king
  21. mark — a grade
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. game — wild animals
  24. pitch — a sports field

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