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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: mug · rule · club · mate · court · chair · tube · rash

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mate — a partner
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. rule — government
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rash — a series
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. tube — a container
  15. club — a group
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. club — for golf
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mug — a face
  20. rule — a law
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mug — to rob
  23. court — of law
  24. rash — hasty

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