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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 120 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: fall · march · cap · rest · ruler · court · object · cabinet

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. march — the month
  3. rest — a break
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. court — of law
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — a thing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — of a king
  14. march — music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. court — for sport
  19. cap — a lid
  20. object — to protest
  21. march — the month
  22. fall — to drop
  23. object — an aim
  24. cabinet — ministers

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