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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. court — of a king
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. spring — of water
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. court — of law
  8. date — the fruit
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. tear — from crying
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fine — high quality
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. spring — the season
  20. fine — all right
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. date — on the calendar
  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