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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cue — for pool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. spell — letters
  9. charge — a price
  10. cue — a hint
  11. court — of a king
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cold — not warm
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — a permit
  18. charge — in control
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. spell — magic
  23. pass — to spend time
  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