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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. court — for sport
  3. land — a country
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. court — of a king
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. land — ground
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. land — to come down
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. court — of law
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pit — in a race

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