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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fine — all right
  5. charge — electricity
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. scale — in music
  9. fine — high quality
  10. charge — a price
  11. rule — a law
  12. ball — a great time
  13. charge — in control
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rule — government
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — of law
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. court — for sport

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