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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. court — of a king
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. court — of law
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. court — for sport
  8. drill — army training
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. drill — a practice
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stem — to come from
  14. charge — electricity
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. charge — a price
  19. hand — in cards
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. charge — in control
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. trunk — of a car

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