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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bound — certain
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. court — of law
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. swing — music
  10. chip — for betting
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bound — tied together
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. court — of a king
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. snap — to click
  22. bound — obliged
  23. chip — to eat
  24. swing — to play on

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