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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 120 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: court · suit · object · lie · game · rule · season · spell

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. object — a thing
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. suit — to fit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. game — wild animals
  9. season — of the year
  10. rule — government
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. rule — a law
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. court — of a king
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. season — in sport
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. suit — clothes
  23. lie — to recline
  24. suit — in cards

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