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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: court · temple · mouse · charge · land · tube · pit · stick

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. charge — electricity
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tube — a container
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. land — to come down
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. land — a country
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pit — in a race
  19. court — of law
  20. charge — in control
  21. land — ground
  22. tube — the underground
  23. charge — a price
  24. tube — in a tire

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