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

Word bank: lean · tear · rule · bowl · band · court

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. court — of a king
  3. lean — to bend
  4. tear — to rip
  5. rule — government
  6. tear — from crying
  7. band — a ring
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rule — a law
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. lean — thin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. court — of law
  16. tear — from crying
  17. court — for sport
  18. band — a rubber band

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