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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cap — of ice
  4. court — for sport
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cap — a lid
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rule — government
  13. court — of law
  14. club — for golf
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. wind — moving air
  17. date — the fruit
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. court — of a king
  22. club — a group
  23. rule — a law
  24. ruler — for measuring

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