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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: nail · chair · court · charge · toast · club · root · bay

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chair — a leader
  6. root — of a word
  7. toast — bread
  8. charge — a price
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. root — the cause
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. charge — in control
  18. court — of a king
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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