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

Word bank: wave · chip · charge · mate · court · pop · kid · mark

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mate — a partner
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chip — for betting
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mark — a grade
  9. kid — child
  10. court — for sport
  11. pop — to visit
  12. kid — to tease
  13. chip — to eat
  14. charge — a price
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mate — a friend
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — in control
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pop — music
  22. court — of law
  23. pop — soda
  24. wave — of the sea

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