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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. club — for golf
  4. charge — electricity
  5. march — the month
  6. club — a group
  7. land — to come down
  8. bound — tied together
  9. land — ground
  10. court — of law
  11. land — a country
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. march — the month
  14. bound — certain
  15. charge — in control
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stem — to come from
  18. plane — a tool
  19. charge — a price
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. march — music
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bound — obliged
  24. club — for dancing

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