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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. land — a country
  4. charge — in control
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cell — in biology
  9. saw — the tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. charge — a price
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. suit — clothes
  15. kick — in football
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cell — a phone
  18. land — to come down
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. court — of a king
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. land — ground

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