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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mark — a grade
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wind — moving air
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wind — moving air
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. club — for golf
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pop — soda
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pop — music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. club — a group
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. club — for dancing

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