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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rush — hurry
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. court — for sport
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. court — of a king
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spell — magic
  17. court — of law
  18. foot — a measure
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. club — a group
  24. kid — child

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