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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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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 · firm · court · fine · bear · season · rule · pop

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. season — in sport
  6. firm — steady
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. firm — decided
  9. court — of law
  10. fine — all right
  11. firm — a company
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fine — high quality
  22. season — of the year
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pop — music

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