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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. court — of law
  3. kick — in football
  4. pop — to visit
  5. craft — boats
  6. pop — soda
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. court — for sport
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pop — music
  18. court — of a king
  19. toast — bread
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ruler — for measuring

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