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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rest — what's left
  6. plane — a tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. capital — money
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rest — a break
  11. court — of a king
  12. staff — employees
  13. court — of law
  14. bear — the animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. rest — what's left
  21. firm — steady
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. staff — employees
  24. capital — a city

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