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

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. court — of a king
  3. charge — in control
  4. rule — a law
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — thin
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. charge — a price
  11. rule — government
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. court — for sport
  14. rest — a break
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stem — to come from
  18. land — ground
  19. court — of law
  20. charge — electricity
  21. land — a country
  22. bass — low music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. land — to come down

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