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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. court — of law
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. content — happy
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — of a king
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. court — for sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. prune — to trim

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