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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: row · bay · object · kick · wave · ruler · court · present

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. object — to protest
  3. row — a line
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. court — of law
  10. row — to paddle
  11. court — of a king
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. present — there
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. court — for sport
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. object — an aim
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. object — a thing
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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