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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 120 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. charge — in control
  3. object — an aim
  4. rash — a series
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. object — a thing
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. court — for sport
  10. rash — hasty
  11. charge — a price
  12. court — of law
  13. rule — a law
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. track — to keep track
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. content — happy
  20. object — to protest
  21. court — of a king
  22. track — a song
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rule — government

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