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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 116 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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. spring — a coil
  3. court — of law
  4. rule — a law
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. present — the time now
  8. court — of a king
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rush — hurry
  12. present — there
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bank — for money
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. present — a gift
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. spring — the season
  21. rule — government
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spring — of water
  24. rush — a thrill

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