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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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fine — all right
  5. court — of law
  6. mug — a face
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. wind — moving air
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rule — a law
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rule — government
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. court — of a king
  22. stand — to bear
  23. band — a ring
  24. court — for sport

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