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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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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: squash · court · rule · bore · perch · bay · race · fine

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. court — of law
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. squash — the sport
  5. race — a contest
  6. bore — to drill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fine — high quality
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. court — for sport
  11. rule — a law
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fine — all right
  14. race — the arms race
  15. squash — to crush
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bore — to tire
  19. race — humankind
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. court — of a king
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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