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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. tube — a container
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. current — of water
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pop — music
  11. current — happening now
  12. court — of law
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. court — for sport
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. firm — decided
  19. court — of a king
  20. stand — to bear
  21. tube — the underground
  22. current — electric
  23. pop — soda
  24. tube — in a tire

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