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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 120 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. charge — a price
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. court — of a king
  5. track — a path
  6. bass — the fish
  7. spell — magic
  8. bass — low music
  9. net — after costs
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. net — in sport
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. spell — letters
  14. track — a song
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. court — for sport
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chair — a leader
  19. track — to keep track
  20. stem — to come from
  21. charge — electricity
  22. net — for catching
  23. spell — a short time
  24. charge — in control

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