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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rash — hasty
  7. swing — music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. court — of law
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. key — in music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. court — for sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. court — of a king
  24. bass — low music

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