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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bank — for money
  4. court — for sport
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bank — of a river
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ground — crushed
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. court — of a king
  15. ball — a great time
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. ground — a position
  18. saw — the tool
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bank — for money
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ground — the earth
  24. court — of law

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