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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ground — crushed
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mug — to rob
  10. pass — a permit
  11. foot — a measure
  12. court — of law
  13. hand — help
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ground — a position
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spell — a short time
  24. foot — the bottom

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