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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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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: object · court · ruler · kick · bat · band · safe · spring

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. spring — a coil
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. band — a music group
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. kick — in football
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spring — the season
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. spring — of water
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. object — to protest
  16. court — for sport
  17. band — a ring
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. court — of a king
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bat — the animal
  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