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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: mug · bark · cell · ball · court · chip · firm · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cell — in biology
  3. firm — steady
  4. court — for sport
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. court — of law
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mug — a face
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. mug — a cup
  13. court — of a king
  14. cell — a phone
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bark — to shout
  17. chip — to eat
  18. firm — decided
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. firm — a company
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ruler — for measuring

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