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

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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 — for measuring
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bank — for money
  6. net — in sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. firm — decided
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cell — a phone
  12. net — for catching
  13. court — of law
  14. bank — of a river
  15. court — of a king
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. net — after costs
  19. firm — steady
  20. bank — for money
  21. firm — a company
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. court — for sport
  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