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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. chair — a leader
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rule — government
  10. charge — in control
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. track — a path
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. court — for sport
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. track — a song
  19. kid — child
  20. rule — a law
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. charge — a price
  24. track — to keep track

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