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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. spell — letters
  9. key — the most important part
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spell — magic
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tear — from crying
  15. key — for a lock
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. tear — to rip
  19. court — for sport
  20. key — in music
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  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