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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — for sport
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rock — music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. last — to go on
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — final
  14. suit — clothes
  15. court — of law
  16. bass — low music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. spring — of water
  19. last — finally
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. spring — the season
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bass — the fish

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