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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. field — farmland
  3. charge — in control
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. court — for sport
  21. chip — for betting
  22. last — finally
  23. court — of a king
  24. chip — to eat

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