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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: ruler · chip · chest · trunk · roll · court · swing · rush

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. court — for sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chest — of your body
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. roll — a cake
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chest — a box
  13. court — of a king
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chest — of your body
  18. swing — music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. swing — to play on
  23. court — of law
  24. rush — a thrill

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