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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: object · deal · track · court · bulb · rest · charge · mug

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. charge — a price
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rest — a break
  6. object — to protest
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. mug — a cup
  10. track — a path
  11. rest — what's left
  12. charge — in control
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mug — to rob
  16. track — a song
  17. mug — a face
  18. deal — to handle
  19. object — a thing
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. object — an aim
  22. track — to keep track
  23. charge — electricity
  24. deal — an agreement

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