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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: mate · court · racket · charge · last · pop · squash · can

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pop — music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mate — to breed
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. last — finally
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. squash — to crush
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. last — to go on
  14. can — a tin
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — a tin
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pop — soda
  19. can — to be able to
  20. charge — a price
  21. mate — a partner
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. court — of a king

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