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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. court — of law
  3. wound — an injury
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. pop — music
  7. court — of a king
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. can — a tin
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. can — a tin
  14. object — a thing
  15. staff — employees
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. court — for sport
  19. pop — to visit
  20. dip — to sink
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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