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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. charge — in control
  3. content — happy
  4. rule — a law
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — crushed
  9. charge — a price
  10. staff — employees
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. court — for sport
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. content — the amount
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. court — of a king
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. charge — electricity
  21. staff — a stick
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rule — government

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