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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: toast · temple · wake · chair · stand · mug · charge · court

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. court — of a king
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mug — a cup
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. toast — bread
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. court — for sport
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chair — a leader
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wake — a trail
  21. court — of law
  22. mug — a face
  23. charge — in control
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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