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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. charge — in control
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. court — for sport
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. court — of law
  12. land — to come down
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. scale — in music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. scale — size or range
  17. land — a country
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. court — of a king
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. land — ground
  23. charge — electricity
  24. trunk — of a car

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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