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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 116 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: bear · cue · wave · lie · mouse · rule · court · pit

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rule — a law
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. court — of a king
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bear — the animal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pit — a hole
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — in a race
  21. court — for sport
  22. rule — government
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. cue — a signal

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