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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.

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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. firm — steady
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. swing — to play on
  8. firm — decided
  9. branch — a division
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. swing — music
  12. mark — a trace
  13. court — of a king
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — a company
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mark — a grade
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pitcher — a jug

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