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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. charge — in control
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. spring — the season
  9. charge — a price
  10. spring — of water
  11. land — ground
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cue — for pool
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. spring — a coil
  16. ball — a great time
  17. land — a country
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ball — a dance
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. land — to come down
  24. cue — a signal

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