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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 124 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 ball is in your ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. court — for sport
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fine — high quality
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rock — music
  7. mug — a face
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. kick — in football
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. court — of law
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fine — all right
  19. mug — to rob
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. court — of a king
  24. bear — the animal

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