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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ball — a dance
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. last — final
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. rule — a law
  17. last — finally
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. last — to go on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rule — government

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