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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: rule · court · spring · perch · rest · mark · stick · object

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. court — of law
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spring — the season
  12. rest — a break
  13. spring — of water
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. object — to protest
  16. rest — what's left
  17. object — an aim
  18. rule — a law
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. object — a thing
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. court — for sport
  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