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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: bowl · hide · court · shower · firm · rule · fork · fine

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. court — of law
  4. fine — all right
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. firm — a company
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — to wash
  11. rule — a law
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fine — high quality
  17. firm — steady
  18. court — for sport
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. firm — decided
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fork — in a road
  24. court — of a king

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