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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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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. can — a tin
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rule — government
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rule — a law
  21. staff — employees
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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