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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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Word bank
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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: last · rule · bowl · court · ruler · charge

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. charge — a price
  3. rule — government
  4. charge — electricity
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. court — for sport
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. last — final
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. court — of a king
  12. charge — in control
  13. last — to go on
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — a law
  17. last — finally
  18. court — of law

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