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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: land · pop · band · court · can · lie · charge · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. court — of a king
  3. present — a gift
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — for sport
  7. lie — to recline
  8. band — a ring
  9. charge — a price
  10. land — to come down
  11. charge — electricity
  12. land — a country
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pop — soda
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — ground
  18. charge — in control
  19. court — of law
  20. present — the time now
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. pop — music

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