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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. staff — a stick
  3. band — a ring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. court — of law
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. craft — a skill
  10. band — a music group
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. staff — employees
  14. court — of a king
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. court — for sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. craft — boats
  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