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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — final
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — a company
  11. court — of a king
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. court — of law
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. firm — steady
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. last — to go on
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. firm — decided

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