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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. court — of law
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. ground — a position
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. court — of a king
  15. foot — a measure
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fine — all right
  18. pass — a permit
  19. ground — the earth
  20. court — for sport
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. key — in music
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pass — to spend time

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