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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. row — to paddle
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. firm — decided
  8. suit — to fit
  9. court — of a king
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bark — to shout
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. tear — to rip
  15. court — for sport
  16. firm — a company
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. firm — steady
  22. suit — clothes
  23. court — of law
  24. fine — all right

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