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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — a position
  5. court — for sport
  6. hand — help
  7. firm — decided
  8. net — after costs
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ground — crushed
  12. board — to get on
  13. net — in sport
  14. firm — steady
  15. ground — the earth
  16. court — of law
  17. hand — in cards
  18. net — for catching
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ball — a great time
  21. board — a committee
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. firm — a company
  24. hand — part of the body

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