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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 116 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: cap · present · game · band · ruler · court · calf · craft

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. game — a match
  3. cap — of ice
  4. present — the time now
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. craft — a skill
  7. band — a ring
  8. court — of law
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. present — there
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. game — wild animals
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cap — a lid
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. court — of a king
  18. present — a gift
  19. cap — a hat
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. craft — boats

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