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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. spring — the season
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. perch — the fish
  5. date — the fruit
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. court — of a king
  16. spring — of water
  17. kid — child
  18. rush — hurry
  19. kid — to tease
  20. court — for sport
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. perch — for a bird
  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