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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fine — high quality
  5. march — the month
  6. charge — in control
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. march — music
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. court — of a king
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fine — all right
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. court — of law
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. march — the month
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. charge — a price

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