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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 120 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. clip — to cut
  3. ball — a dance
  4. suit — in cards
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hand — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hand — help
  10. clip — for paper
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. squash — to crush
  15. suit — to fit
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. court — of a king
  18. perch — the fish
  19. court — for sport
  20. squash — the sport
  21. clip — a video
  22. court — of law
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hand — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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