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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. game — wild animals
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. hand — help
  7. present — a gift
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. game — a match
  14. mate — to breed
  15. present — there
  16. court — of a king
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — in cards
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. present — the time now
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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