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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: bulb · ruler · racket · drill · court · firm · chair · mug

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — steady
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. court — for sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. drill — army training
  10. firm — a company
  11. court — of a king
  12. firm — decided
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — of law
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bulb — for light

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