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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: charge · jam · bass · track · lean · patient · bay · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. court — for sport
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. charge — a price
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. charge — in control
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. lean — to bend
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bass — low music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. court — of law
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. bass — the fish

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