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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: ruler · mark · suit · stem · object · court · row · race

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. suit — clothes
  3. race — a contest
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. row — a line
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — humankind
  8. stem — to come from
  9. object — to protest
  10. row — to paddle
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mark — a grade
  23. object — a thing
  24. court — of a king

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