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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. spring — the season
  5. row — a line
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. spring — of water
  19. toast — bread
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pit — in a race
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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