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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. march — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fine — all right
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. court — of law
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. craft — boats
  15. court — for sport
  16. march — the month
  17. court — of a king
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wound — an injury
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wound — an injury

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