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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. court — of law
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wound — an injury
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. key — in music
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — for sport
  15. stock — goods
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. key — the most important part
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — shares
  24. court — of a king

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