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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · press · spell · ruler · court · pit

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pit — in a race
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. court — for sport
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — a publisher
  7. court — of a king
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. press — newspapers
  10. spell — magic
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. court — of law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. press — to push
  15. spell — a short time
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bear — the animal
  18. spell — letters

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