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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · rush · club · rest · court · bowl · rule · spell

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rule — government
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mug — a cup
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rest — a break
  11. court — of a king
  12. club — a group
  13. rule — a law
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rest — what's left
  17. court — for sport
  18. club — for golf
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — of law
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mug — a face

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