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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. row — a line
  3. court — for sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. file — a tool
  7. swing — music
  8. mark — a trace
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cap — a lid
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. court — of a king
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. file — a document
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cap — a hat
  24. court — of law

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