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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: cue · pitcher · stand · mate · charge · clip · arm · court

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. charge — in control
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cue — a signal
  9. court — for sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. mate — a friend
  14. charge — a price
  15. court — of law
  16. charge — electricity
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mate — to breed
  19. clip — for paper
  20. cue — for pool
  21. clip — a video
  22. stand — to bear
  23. court — of a king
  24. cue — a hint

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