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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: kid · row · charge · mug · rash · stick · rest · court

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mug — to rob
  5. kid — to tease
  6. row — a line
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mug — a face
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. court — of a king
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — a cup
  13. kid — child
  14. court — of law
  15. rash — hasty
  16. court — for sport
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. charge — electricity
  21. rest — a break
  22. charge — in control
  23. rest — what's left
  24. charge — a price

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