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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. present — a gift
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bound — obliged
  5. present — the time now
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. net — in sport
  13. bass — low music
  14. court — of law
  15. present — there
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. bass — the instrument

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