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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: snap · rule · saw · board · court · squash · charge · can

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. charge — a price
  3. squash — to crush
  4. court — of a king
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. court — of law
  7. charge — electricity
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. court — for sport
  12. snap — to click
  13. charge — in control
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. board — a committee
  17. can — to be able to
  18. squash — the sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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