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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: bay · pitch · mug · lie · perch · rule · court · rush

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rule — a law
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. court — for sport
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. court — of law
  9. rule — government
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lie — to recline
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. perch — for a bird

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