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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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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 · rash · bear · pit · mate · court · fine · lean

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. court — of a king
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lean — thin
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pit — in a race
  15. row — a line
  16. fine — high quality
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mate — a friend
  20. court — for sport
  21. mate — to breed
  22. fine — all right
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rash — a series

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