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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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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 · ruler · rock · fall · bay · pass · clip · charge

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. clip — a video
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. clip — to cut
  10. charge — a price
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. court — for sport
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. court — of law
  17. fall — the season
  18. clip — for paper
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. charge — in control
  22. rock — music
  23. court — of a king
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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