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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. game — a match
  3. kick — in football
  4. game — wild animals
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. court — of law
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. court — for sport
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. spring — of water
  16. pitch — completely
  17. file — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. can — a tin
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. court — of a king
  24. spring — the season

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