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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rest — what's left
  3. court — for sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. file — a tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. court — of a king
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. court — of law
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rest — a break

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