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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. club — a group
  3. court — of a king
  4. club — for golf
  5. charge — a price
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. charge — in control
  10. court — for sport
  11. march — the month
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ball — a great time
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. charge — electricity
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. march — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. branch — a division
  24. march — the month

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