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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. court — of a king
  5. club — for dancing
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kick — in football
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — for sport
  11. charge — in control
  12. land — a country
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. charge — a price
  16. club — a group
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. court — of law
  21. club — for golf
  22. charge — electricity
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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