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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. court — of law
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — electric
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — a hint
  11. court — for sport
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. court — of a king
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cue — a signal
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a great time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. current — happening now
  24. rule — to rule out

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