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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pop — music
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. pop — to visit
  7. court — of a king
  8. rock — a stone
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rock — music
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rule — a law
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pop — soda
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ball — a dance
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rule — government

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