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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rule — a law
  12. march — the month
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. court — for sport
  16. fork — in a road
  17. march — music
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mug — a face
  23. suit — clothes
  24. march — the month

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