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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. court — for sport
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. charge — in control
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — of a king
  9. kid — child
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cue — a signal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. kid — to tease
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cue — a hint
  23. court — of law
  24. sharp — exactly

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