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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. lean — thin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. court — of law
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ground — a position
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rush — hurry
  22. court — for sport
  23. ground — crushed
  24. land — to come down

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