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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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bank — for money
  3. bass — the fish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bank — of a river
  11. face — to point toward
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bass — low music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. land — to come down
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cue — a signal
  18. land — ground
  19. face — part of the head
  20. court — of a king
  21. face — to confront
  22. cue — for pool
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. land — a country

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