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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. charge — electricity
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rest — what's left
  6. court — of a king
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — for pool
  11. court — for sport
  12. charge — in control
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. capital — money
  15. object — to protest
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. capital — a city
  18. object — a thing
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. charge — a price
  22. object — an aim
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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