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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. court — of a king
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. charge — a price
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ground — a position
  9. pit — in a race
  10. shower — rain
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pit — a hole
  14. club — a group
  15. shower — to wash
  16. charge — electricity
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. club — for golf
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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