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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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 — for sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — in control
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. land — to come down
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. court — of law
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stand — to bear
  13. court — of a king
  14. land — ground
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. content — the amount
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. content — happy
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. charge — a price
  23. land — a country
  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