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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. court — of law
  3. firm — a company
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. race — a contest
  7. cue — a signal
  8. rash — a series
  9. spring — the season
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. race — humankind
  12. cue — a hint
  13. fine — high quality
  14. race — the arms race
  15. court — for sport
  16. firm — steady
  17. fine — all right
  18. spring — of water
  19. cue — for pool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. court — of a king
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rash — hasty
  24. firm — decided

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