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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · deal · spell · court · chip · charge · clip · ruler

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. clip — a video
  6. spell — magic
  7. clip — to cut
  8. spell — letters
  9. charge — electricity
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chip — for betting
  13. charge — a price
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. court — of a king
  19. spell — a short time
  20. court — for sport
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. charge — in control
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. clip — for paper

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