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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mate — a partner
  4. object — a thing
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. object — to protest
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. band — a ring
  11. charge — in control
  12. mate — a friend
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mate — to breed
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. charge — a price
  19. court — of law
  20. object — an aim
  21. band — a music group
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pit — a hole
  24. court — of a king

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