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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wake — a trail
  3. court — for sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. shower — rain
  7. sharp — clever
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. court — of law
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. court — of a king
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. shower — to wash
  24. chip — for betting

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