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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. capital — money
  3. court — of law
  4. club — for golf
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. capital — a city
  8. rule — a law
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. club — a group
  18. bear — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. rule — government
  21. court — for sport
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pass — a permit

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