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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. court — of law
  3. stand — to bear
  4. season — of the year
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. court — for sport
  8. cell — a phone
  9. court — of a king
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. charge — a price
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. club — for dancing
  19. season — in sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. charge — in control
  23. club — for golf
  24. charge — electricity

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