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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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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: mine · kid · bass · rule · march · court · foot · object

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bass — low music
  5. object — an aim
  6. march — the month
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. court — of a king
  12. march — music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rule — government
  16. kid — child
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. march — the month
  19. bass — the fish
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. object — a thing
  23. foot — a measure
  24. object — to protest

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