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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. swing — music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. court — for sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. court — of law
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tear — from crying
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. swing — in golf
  17. tear — to rip
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ground — crushed
  22. court — of a king
  23. ground — a position
  24. perch — the fish

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