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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 116 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's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. court — for sport
  4. tear — from crying
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lean — thin
  7. court — of a king
  8. tear — to rip
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. game — a match
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. tear — from crying
  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