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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. suit — to fit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. court — of law
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. court — of a king
  8. suit — clothes
  9. court — for sport
  10. suit — in cards
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — for digging
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mine — an explosive

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