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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. race — the arms race
  3. charge — in control
  4. track — to keep track
  5. charge — a price
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. court — of law
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — a path
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — the fish
  17. track — a song
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. court — of a king
  22. rock — a stone
  23. scale — in music
  24. rock — music

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