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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. last — final
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. last — to go on
  9. court — of a king
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fine — all right
  12. last — finally
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ball — a dance
  20. court — for sport
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. court — of law
  23. stock — goods
  24. cabinet — ministers

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