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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bank — for money
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. season — in sport
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. court — of a king
  7. kid — child
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. scale — in music
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bank — for money
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bank — of a river
  17. scale — size or range
  18. present — there
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. season — of the year

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