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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rule — government
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rule — a law
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. court — for sport
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fork — in a road

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