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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: sharp · cue · fall · charge · plane · court · mouse · foot

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. plane — a tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. court — of a king
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cue — for pool
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cue — a signal
  21. court — for sport
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. sharp — with an edge

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