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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: snap · mouse · chair · object · court · cue · charge · rush

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. court — for sport
  5. charge — in control
  6. chair — a leader
  7. charge — a price
  8. snap — to click
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. object — a thing
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. court — of a king
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. object — an aim
  23. court — of law
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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