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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mug — a cup
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mug — to rob
  5. court — of a king
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pop — to visit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. court — of law
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. object — an aim
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pop — soda
  17. tear — from crying
  18. object — a thing
  19. court — for sport
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. object — to protest
  24. mug — a face

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