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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. charge — a price
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. charge — electricity
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. court — of a king
  11. track — a song
  12. court — of law
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. court — for sport
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. object — a thing
  20. suit — clothes
  21. object — to protest
  22. wake — a trail
  23. track — a path
  24. charge — in control

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