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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: stick · fall · present · rush · bat · foot · court · charge

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — there
  3. court — of law
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. court — for sport
  8. fall — the season
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. charge — a price
  12. court — of a king
  13. present — the time now
  14. charge — in control
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. charge — electricity
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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