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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. charge — in control
  3. court — for sport
  4. board — a committee
  5. mug — a cup
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bass — the fish
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. charge — a price
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bass — low music
  16. board — to get on
  17. court — of law
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mug — a face
  22. cue — a signal
  23. court — of a king
  24. bass — the instrument

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