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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. staff — a stick
  5. charge — in control
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — the earth
  9. club — a group
  10. roll — a list
  11. club — for golf
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. shower — rain
  14. charge — electricity
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. charge — a price
  18. wake — a trail
  19. roll — a cake
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  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