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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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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: deal · mug · court · cell · pitcher · ruler · club · jam

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. cell — a phone
  4. court — of law
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mug — to rob
  11. club — for dancing
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mug — a face
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. club — a group
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mug — a cup
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. club — for golf
  21. cell — in biology
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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