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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. cold — an illness
  3. can — to be able to
  4. chest — of your body
  5. court — of law
  6. chest — a box
  7. charge — electricity
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. court — of a king
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stand — to bear
  14. suit — clothes
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — for sport
  17. cold — not warm
  18. can — a tin
  19. charge — in control
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. charge — a price
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stand — on your feet

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