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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: game · spring · charge · ball · cell · cabinet · mark · rush

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. charge — a price
  4. ball — a great time
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. charge — electricity
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. charge — in control
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. spring — of water
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cell — in biology
  20. spring — the season
  21. game — a match
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rush — hurry
  24. ball — a round shape

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