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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. season — of the year
  4. court — for sport
  5. sharp — clever
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. season — in sport
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rock — a stone
  24. season — to add flavour

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