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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. field — farmland
  3. court — of law
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rush — hurry
  7. can — a tin
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mate — to breed
  15. can — to be able to
  16. court — for sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. can — a tin
  22. court — of a king
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. calf — a young animal

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