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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. cue — a signal
  5. charge — a price
  6. suit — to fit
  7. field — for sport
  8. cue — a hint
  9. net — for catching
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. court — of law
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. field — farmland
  14. charge — in control
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. court — of a king
  18. cue — for pool
  19. net — in sport
  20. field — a subject
  21. rock — a stone
  22. suit — in cards
  23. charge — electricity
  24. suit — clothes

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