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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 ball is in your ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. court — for sport
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. board — to get on
  9. kid — child
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mine — for digging
  12. kid — to tease
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. court — of law
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. board — a committee
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. court — of a king
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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