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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fine — all right
  6. shower — rain
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. race — the arms race
  10. scale — in music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. race — a contest
  13. shower — to wash
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. court — of law
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. court — for sport
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. court — of a king
  24. race — humankind

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