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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pop — soda
  4. court — of a king
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. land — to come down
  7. pop — music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — of the year
  11. land — ground
  12. court — for sport
  13. season — in sport
  14. court — of law
  15. pop — to visit
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. land — a country
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. rush — hurry
  22. suit — in cards
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. suit — to fit

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