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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. charge — a price
  4. bass — the fish
  5. charge — electricity
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bass — low music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. court — for sport
  12. row — to paddle
  13. dip — to sink
  14. foot — a measure
  15. snap — to click
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. row — a line
  18. spell — letters
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. spell — a short time
  22. charge — in control
  23. spell — magic
  24. row — a quarrel

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