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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. season — in sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rule — government
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — certain
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. mark — a grade
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rule — a law
  18. season — of the year
  19. cell — in biology
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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