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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: charge · rest · court · game · ruler · dip · branch · spell

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spell — magic
  4. game — a match
  5. branch — a division
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. charge — electricity
  8. court — of law
  9. rest — a break
  10. court — for sport
  11. game — wild animals
  12. charge — in control
  13. court — of a king
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rest — what's left
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. charge — a price
  24. branch — of a tree

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