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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. row — to paddle
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. court — for sport
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rest — what's left
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bulb — for light
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rule — a law
  17. court — of a king
  18. row — a line
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rest — a break
  22. rule — government
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. leaves — to go away

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