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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. firm — steady
  4. race — a contest
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spring — the season
  8. court — for sport
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. court — of law
  11. race — the arms race
  12. court — of a king
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. firm — decided
  17. bear — the animal
  18. race — humankind
  19. firm — a company
  20. bear — the animal
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. bowl — to roll

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