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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: roll · wound · ruler · bat · mug · fan · court · foot

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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 a king
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. roll — a list
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mug — to rob
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. court — for sport
  15. mug — a face
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. court — of law
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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