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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. mark — a grade
  7. sharp — clever
  8. scale — size or range
  9. court — of a king
  10. ground — a position
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. court — for sport
  14. ground — crushed
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. court — of law
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mark — a trace
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ruler — for measuring

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