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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a tool
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. club — for dancing
  6. lie — to recline
  7. firm — a company
  8. squash — to crush
  9. club — a group
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. firm — steady
  12. chair — a leader
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. court — of law
  18. file — a document
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a line of people
  21. firm — decided
  22. club — for golf
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. lie — an untruth

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