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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 · stick · content · swing · cell · staff · toast · court

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. swing — music
  3. staff — a stick
  4. court — for sport
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. swing — to play on
  10. court — of a king
  11. content — the amount
  12. court — of law
  13. staff — employees
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. staff — employees
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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