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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rock — a stone
  3. court — for sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chair — a leader
  6. hand — in cards
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. rock — music
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. roll — a list
  13. court — of a king
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. roll — a cake
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. court — of law
  21. lean — thin
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. patient — a sick person

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