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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. court — of law
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. foot — a measure
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wound — an injury
  15. court — of a king
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. track — a path
  18. ground — the earth
  19. track — a song
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. court — for sport
  22. ground — a position
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — to keep track

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