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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. march — music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. march — the month
  7. prune — to trim
  8. dip — to sink
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. court — for sport
  15. row — to paddle
  16. shower — rain
  17. court — of a king
  18. march — the month
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. row — a line
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — the fruit

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