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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rush — hurry
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — for sport
  11. cap — a lid
  12. court — of a king
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. craft — boats
  15. suit — in cards
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. craft — a skill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cap — of ice
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. degree — from a university
  24. cap — a hat

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