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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fine — high quality
  6. tear — from crying
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. court — of a king
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. court — for sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — goods
  14. clip — to cut
  15. stock — shares
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. clip — a video
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. court — of law
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. clip — for paper
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mug — a face

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