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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. court — for sport
  3. charge — in control
  4. court — of a king
  5. track — a song
  6. charge — a price
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. court — of law
  11. spell — letters
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rush — hurry
  24. sharp — with an edge

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