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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. court — for sport
  3. row — to paddle
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. court — of a king
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. band — a music group
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. prune — to trim
  20. band — a ring
  21. row — a line
  22. court — of law
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — to trim

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