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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. race — humankind
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. last — finally
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. race — a contest
  20. court — of a king
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. rush — hurry
  24. court — for sport

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