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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: court · staff · fine · wake · bore · wave · ruler · racket

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. court — of a king
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wake — a trail
  9. fine — high quality
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fine — all right
  19. court — of law
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. staff — employees
  23. court — for sport
  24. wave — with your hand

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