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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. charge — in control
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — for pool
  5. scale — size or range
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. charge — electricity
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — a signal
  10. land — to come down
  11. charge — a price
  12. bear — the animal
  13. court — of law
  14. land — ground
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. scale — in music
  20. court — for sport
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. tube — a container
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. land — a country

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