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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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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: mate · snap · charge · chest · arm · root · court · cue

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. root — the cause
  3. mate — a partner
  4. court — for sport
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. snap — to click
  10. mate — a friend
  11. root — of a plant
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cue — a hint
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. root — of a word
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mate — to breed
  23. charge — in control
  24. court — of a king

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