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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spring — the season
  6. ball — a great time
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. court — of law
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. row — a line
  24. deal — to handle

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