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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. court — of law
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. court — for sport
  9. land — a country
  10. rock — a stone
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. land — to come down
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mate — to breed
  18. swing — music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bank — for money
  21. land — ground
  22. court — of a king
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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