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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. court — of a king
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bank — for money
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — for money
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pound — a weight
  15. court — for sport
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bank — of a river
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. court — of law
  24. mate — a partner

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