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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: rule · firm · pit · straw · fan · court · nail · bowl

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rule — a law
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. rule — government
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. court — of law
  24. firm — a company

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