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

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. court — of a king
  3. net — after costs
  4. suit — in cards
  5. court — for sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bore — to drill
  12. net — for catching
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bore — to tire
  16. net — in sport
  17. suit — to fit
  18. kid — to tease
  19. suit — clothes
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ball — a great time
  23. court — of law
  24. ruler — for measuring

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