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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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Word bank
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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: row · court · rule · craft · pop · mine · bowl · rush

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. court — for sport
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rule — a law
  11. craft — boats
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. court — of law
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. court — of a king
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rule — government
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pop — music
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. row — a line

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