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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. ball — a dance
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rule — a law
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. hand — help
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — government
  24. mate — a friend

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