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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. firm — steady
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — of a word
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. net — for catching
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. row — a line
  13. root — the cause
  14. net — after costs
  15. firm — decided
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. wake — a trail
  19. court — for sport
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. root — of a plant
  22. row — to paddle
  23. firm — a company
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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