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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stand — to bear
  10. vault — a safe
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bass — low music
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. charge — a price
  19. pass — a permit
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. squash — the sport
  22. charge — in control
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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