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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. roll — a cake
  3. charge — a price
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cap — a hat
  6. key — in music
  7. cap — of ice
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. court — for sport
  10. charge — in control
  11. kid — child
  12. roll — a list
  13. charge — electricity
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. key — for a lock
  16. mate — a partner
  17. kid — to tease
  18. board — a committee
  19. cap — a lid
  20. board — to get on
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. key — the most important part
  24. court — of a king

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