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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. charge — a price
  3. band — a ring
  4. ball — a dance
  5. court — for sport
  6. firm — a company
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. charge — electricity
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. court — of a king
  13. bound — obliged
  14. band — a music group
  15. charge — in control
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. court — of law
  19. ball — a great time
  20. chair — a leader
  21. firm — decided
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. firm — steady

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