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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rule — government
  3. drill — army training
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. root — the cause
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. vault — a safe
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rule — a law
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. court — for sport
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. shower — to wash
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. root — of a word
  21. court — of law
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. drill — a practice

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