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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. court — of a king
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to click
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. court — of law
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — a trail
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bank — for money
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — in music

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