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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: charge · safe · cue · band · pitcher · court · season · racket

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cue — a hint
  4. court — of a king
  5. band — a ring
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. season — in sport
  9. court — of law
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — of the year
  15. band — a music group
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. court — for sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. cue — for pool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. charge — a price

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