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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: fine · firm · rest · shower · court · rush · cold · bore

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. firm — a company
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. shower — rain
  7. bore — to tire
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rest — what's left
  12. firm — decided
  13. rest — a break
  14. cold — not warm
  15. fine — all right
  16. firm — steady
  17. fine — high quality
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. shower — to wash
  24. court — of law

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