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

Word bank: fall · bowl · racket · ruler · court · stem

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. court — of a king
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — to come from
  8. court — for sport
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fall — the season
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — of law
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. stem — of a plant

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