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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. season — in sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. chest — a box
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rule — a law
  10. chest — of your body
  11. firm — steady
  12. season — of the year
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mine — for digging
  18. court — of a king
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. rule — government
  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