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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. firm — steady
  3. court — of a king
  4. net — in sport
  5. charge — a price
  6. bass — low music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bass — the fish
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. firm — a company
  12. net — for catching
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ball — a great time
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. court — for sport
  17. firm — decided
  18. fall — to drop
  19. charge — in control
  20. net — after costs
  21. ball — a dance
  22. court — of law
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bass — the instrument

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