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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. spring — the season
  3. court — of law
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rule — a law
  10. kick — in football
  11. court — of a king
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rule — government
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. court — for sport
  21. spring — of water
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. spring — a coil

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