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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: club · court · dip · field · ruler · stick

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. court — of a king
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. field — farmland
  10. club — for dancing
  11. field — a subject
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. dip — to sink
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. field — for sport

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