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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. fall — to drop
  4. scale — in music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pit — a hole
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. court — of a king
  14. fall — the season
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. present — a gift
  18. pit — in a race
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. court — for sport
  21. club — for golf
  22. fall — to drop
  23. club — a group
  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