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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: ruler · court · pit · land · branch · perch · key · present

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. present — the time now
  6. pit — in a race
  7. court — for sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. land — ground
  10. perch — the fish
  11. court — of a king
  12. land — to come down
  13. court — of law
  14. branch — a division
  15. pit — a hole
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. key — the most important part
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. key — in music
  21. present — a gift
  22. land — a country
  23. present — there
  24. ruler — a monarch

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