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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mug — a face
  6. rule — a law
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cap — a lid
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rule — government
  17. bank — for money
  18. court — of a king
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cap — of ice
  24. court — of law

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