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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. court — of a king
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. cue — for pool
  8. rock — music
  9. club — for golf
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. court — for sport
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. court — of law
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ball — a dance
  19. club — a group
  20. lean — thin
  21. cue — a signal
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rule — to rule out

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