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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. court — for sport
  4. charge — a price
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stock — goods
  13. root — the cause
  14. can — to be able to
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. root — of a word
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — of a plant
  21. can — a tin
  22. stock — shares
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. coach — a trainer

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