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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 120 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. court — of a king
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stock — goods
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. fall — to drop
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. court — of law
  15. drill — army training
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. court — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stock — shares
  23. mug — a face
  24. fall — the season

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