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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  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. chair — a leader
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. charge — in control
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. band — a music group
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. court — of law
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chest — a box
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. court — of a king
  19. rush — hurry
  20. deal — to handle
  21. band — a ring
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. charge — a price
  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