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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. court — of law
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. content — the amount
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. net — after costs
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. content — happy
  17. cap — a hat
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. board — a committee
  22. net — in sport
  23. cap — a lid
  24. net — for catching

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