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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. court — for sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. charge — a price
  9. court — of a king
  10. rock — a stone
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cold — an illness
  13. charge — in control
  14. rock — music
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. wound — an injury
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. court — of law
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cold — not warm
  22. charge — electricity
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ruler — a monarch

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