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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 120 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: cell · craft · fall · tube · racket · court · charge · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. court — of a king
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. court — of law
  10. cell — a phone
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fall — the season
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. court — for sport
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tube — a container
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. craft — boats
  22. charge — in control
  23. cell — in biology
  24. tube — the underground

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