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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. court — of law
  3. pass — a permit
  4. land — to come down
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. rock — music
  8. content — the amount
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. charge — a price
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rest — a break
  13. court — of a king
  14. rest — what's left
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — in control
  18. land — ground
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. charge — electricity
  23. court — for sport
  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