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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. court — for sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kid — child
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. kid — to tease
  15. court — of a king
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pound — a weight
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. chest — a box
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bowl — a football final

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