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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 116 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. court — for sport
  5. last — finally
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fine — high quality
  8. court — of a king
  9. last — to go on
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fine — all right
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. last — final
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rush — to hurry

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