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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. court — for sport
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. prune — to trim
  7. land — to come down
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rush — hurry
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. can — a tin
  15. rule — a law
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. court — of a king
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — ground
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rule — government
  22. can — to be able to
  23. land — a country
  24. mine — for digging

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