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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 120 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. court — of law
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. craft — boats
  5. squash — to crush
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fine — all right
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. court — of a king
  11. content — the amount
  12. court — for sport
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — high quality
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cap — a lid
  17. content — happy
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. march — music
  24. craft — a handicraft

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