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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. suit — to fit
  3. object — an aim
  4. can — a tin
  5. object — to protest
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. court — of a king
  11. pound — a weight
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. can — a tin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cold — not warm
  21. court — for sport
  22. cold — an illness
  23. court — of law
  24. object — a thing

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