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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. court — of law
  3. rash — a series
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rash — hasty
  7. court — of a king
  8. charge — a price
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. charge — in control
  15. fine — all right
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. sharp — clever
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. court — for sport
  21. charge — electricity
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rash — on the skin

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