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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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468
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: cabinet · rash · leaves · court · jam · ruler · fork · mouse

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rash — a series
  4. court — for sport
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — of a king
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. court — of law
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fork — in a road
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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