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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: charge · bulb · mate · staff · pit · mug · hide · court

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. court — for sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — a price
  11. staff — employees
  12. mate — a partner
  13. staff — employees
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. charge — in control
  21. court — of law
  22. court — of a king
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bulb — of a plant

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