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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. swing — music
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. tear — to rip
  5. ground — a position
  6. band — a ring
  7. ground — the earth
  8. object — an aim
  9. tear — from crying
  10. court — for sport
  11. ground — crushed
  12. band — a music group
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tear — from crying
  15. court — of a king
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. bear — the animal
  22. swing — in golf
  23. court — of law
  24. bear — the animal

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