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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: bass · kid · fork · spell · court · bound · perch · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fork — in a road
  4. court — for sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. court — of a king
  7. bass — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. spell — letters
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bass — low music
  16. spell — magic
  17. kid — child
  18. bound — tied together
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. perch — the fish
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bound — certain
  24. court — of law

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