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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cold — not warm
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. cold — an illness
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — of law
  12. march — music
  13. court — for sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. rest — a break
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. march — the month
  21. rest — what's left
  22. march — the month
  23. court — of a king
  24. ruler — a monarch

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