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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pit — in a race
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — the month
  9. court — of a king
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. sharp — clever
  13. court — for sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. court — of law
  16. march — the month
  17. craft — a skill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. craft — boats
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pit — a hole
  22. march — music
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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