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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: court · mark · ruler · fall · jam · board · bore · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. court — of law
  5. board — a committee
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. court — for sport
  8. board — to get on
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. court — of a king
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bore — to drill
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bore — to tire
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fall — to drop

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