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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · toast · court · wind · rule · leaves

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wind — moving air
  3. toast — bread
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rule — a law
  7. bear — the animal
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. wind — moving air
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rule — government
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bear — the animal

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