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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. march — music
  5. mug — to rob
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. court — for sport
  10. mug — a face
  11. march — the month
  12. court — of law
  13. charge — in control
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fall — the season
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ball — a great time
  19. deal — to handle
  20. court — of a king
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. march — the month
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mug — a cup

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