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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. last — finally
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. last — to go on
  5. court — of a king
  6. swing — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. court — of law
  10. march — the month
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stand — to bear
  13. march — the month
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. file — a tool
  17. last — final
  18. bear — the animal
  19. march — music
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. swing — in golf
  23. court — for sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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