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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 116 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. charge — a price
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rule — a law
  9. season — of the year
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. kick — in football
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. season — in sport
  16. branch — a division
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. charge — in control
  24. rule — government

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