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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: court · lie · charge · mouse · stick · ground · chip · bowl

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. court — of law
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. charge — in control
  7. chip — to eat
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ground — a position
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. court — for sport
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. court — of a king
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. charge — electricity
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. charge — a price
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lie — to recline

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