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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. court — of a king
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. ball — a great time
  10. race — humankind
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mug — a cup
  13. race — a contest
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. race — the arms race
  24. hide — to keep secret

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