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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bank — of a river
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. game — wild animals
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bank — for money
  13. suit — to fit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bank — for money
  20. suit — clothes
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. suit — in cards
  24. date — on the calendar

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