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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · snap · mine · object · pop · charge · straw · court

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. court — of a king
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — in control
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. file — a line of people
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pop — to visit
  11. snap — to click
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. file — a document
  14. object — to protest
  15. pop — music
  16. file — a tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. court — of law
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pop — soda
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. court — for sport

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