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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 116 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bore — to tire
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. rule — a law
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stand — to bear
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. band — a ring
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rule — government
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. band — a music group
  22. court — of a king
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wave — of the sea

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