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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. fork — in a road
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. board — to get on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — a law
  11. bass — low music
  12. board — a committee
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rule — government
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bass — the fish
  21. court — of law
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. fork — to eat with

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