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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 120 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: rule · charge · court · stand · pass · mine · net · snap

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. mine — for digging
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. net — in sport
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rule — a law
  9. court — of law
  10. charge — in control
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. snap — to click
  15. charge — a price
  16. rule — government
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. net — after costs
  19. stand — to bear
  20. pass — a permit
  21. court — for sport
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. net — for catching
  24. stand — for spectators

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