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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · stick · court · game · pop · board · club · shower

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. court — of a king
  4. board — a committee
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pop — soda
  7. court — of law
  8. game — a match
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. club — for dancing
  11. shower — to wash
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. court — for sport
  15. pop — music
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. pop — to visit

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