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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. firm — a company
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. firm — decided
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. rest — what's left
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rest — a break
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fine — all right
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. court — for sport
  24. bulb — for light

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