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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. court — of law
  3. row — to paddle
  4. face — to point toward
  5. march — the month
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. face — to confront
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fine — high quality
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fine — all right
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. row — a line
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. fork — in a road

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