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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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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: game · mug · fall · present · court · fine · can · rush

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mug — to rob
  3. court — of a king
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fall — the season
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. game — wild animals
  10. court — of law
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — there
  13. mug — a cup
  14. court — for sport
  15. game — a match
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mug — a face
  18. fall — to drop
  19. present — the time now
  20. fine — all right
  21. present — a gift
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — to hurry

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