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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. root — of a plant
  5. court — of a king
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rock — music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. march — the month
  11. bass — low music
  12. march — the month
  13. club — a group
  14. march — music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — a price
  22. rock — a stone
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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