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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · court · stick · cold · toast · firm · ruler · wound

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. firm — a company
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. firm — decided
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — for sport
  12. cold — an illness
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mine — for digging
  16. toast — bread
  17. court — of a king
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. court — of law
  20. wound — an injury
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. firm — steady
  24. mine — belonging to me

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