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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: racket · lie · mate · present · march · ruler · court · leaves

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mate — to breed
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. court — of law
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mate — a partner
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — a friend
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. march — music

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