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

Word bank: ruler · roll · firm · jam · cell · toast

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. toast — bread
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. firm — decided
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. cell — in biology
  12. roll — a list
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. firm — a company
  16. cell — a phone
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. firm — steady

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