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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a line
  3. firm — decided
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rest — a break
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. court — of a king
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. firm — steady
  17. row — to paddle
  18. court — of law
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. firm — a company
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. court — for sport

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