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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: fork · rule · pass · mug · dip · court · row · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. court — for sport
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rule — government
  7. court — of a king
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rule — a law
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pass — a permit
  14. row — a line
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. row — to paddle
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. court — of law
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fork — a garden tool

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