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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. charge — a price
  4. scale — in music
  5. mate — a friend
  6. court — of a king
  7. fork — in a road
  8. present — a gift
  9. scale — size or range
  10. court — of law
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. charge — in control
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. present — there
  19. pit — a hole
  20. present — the time now
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pit — in a race

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