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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: lean · rash · rule · court · content · present · bay · mouse

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. present — a gift
  4. court — of law
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. present — there
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. court — of a king
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lean — thin
  15. content — happy
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rule — a law
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. content — the amount
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. present — the time now
  22. rash — a series
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. court — for sport

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