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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. court — of a king
  3. ball — a dance
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — for sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. file — a tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. field — for sport
  11. file — a document
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a great time
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. field — a subject
  17. rest — what's left
  18. court — of law
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rest — a break
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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