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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: key · cell · court · jam · ruler · lie · bound · swing

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. court — of a king
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. court — for sport
  7. swing — to play on
  8. key — for a lock
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bound — obliged
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cell — a phone
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. swing — music
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. lie — to recline
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bound — certain
  23. key — in music
  24. bound — tied together

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