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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.

Make a worksheet

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: ruler · squash · ball · tear · court · wind · mine · board

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ball — a dance
  6. court — for sport
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ball — a great time
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. squash — to crush
  16. court — of a king
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — to get on
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wind — moving air
  22. court — of law
  23. board — a committee
  24. ruler — a monarch

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