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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. court — of law
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wound — an injury
  15. court — of a king
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stock — goods
  18. court — for sport
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stock — shares
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. ruler — a monarch

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