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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: season · craft · rest · court · mouse · rush · cue · march

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. court — for sport
  5. cue — a signal
  6. court — of a king
  7. craft — boats
  8. rest — what's left
  9. march — the month
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. season — of the year
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. season — in sport
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rest — a break
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. march — music
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. march — the month
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rest — what's left

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