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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kid — child
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stand — to bear
  10. court — of law
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. court — of a king
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. can — a tin
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. can — to be able to

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