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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.

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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: bay · deal · can · court · ruler · fall · scale · bulb

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. court — of law
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. court — for sport
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fall — the season
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fall — to drop
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. court — of a king
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. can — a tin

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