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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 124 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spring — the season
  4. mark — a grade
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of a king
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. spring — of water
  12. object — a thing
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spring — a coil
  15. sharp — clever
  16. can — to be able to
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. court — of law
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. can — a tin
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. can — a tin

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