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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 116 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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. face — to confront
  5. charge — electricity
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. face — part of the head
  16. clip — a video
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pit — in a race
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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