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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. net — for catching
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. snap — to click
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. charge — in control
  9. net — in sport
  10. swing — to play on
  11. court — of a king
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. court — for sport
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. swing — music
  19. pass — a permit
  20. swing — in golf
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. court — of law
  23. charge — electricity
  24. net — after costs

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