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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. charge — electricity
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. rash — a series
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. squash — the sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. rash — hasty
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. charge — a price
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. charge — in control
  22. foot — a measure
  23. season — in sport
  24. rule — government

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