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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: cue · court · spring · game · rule · leaves · fine · bowl

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. spring — of water
  4. cue — a signal
  5. court — for sport
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rule — a law
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rule — government
  11. fine — high quality
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spring — the season
  16. cue — a hint
  17. game — a match
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. court — of a king
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. court — of law

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