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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — of law
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spring — the season
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. spring — of water
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mug — to rob
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mug — a face
  23. court — of a king
  24. wind — moving air

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