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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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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: straw · bound · stem · ruler · court · rush · hand · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bound — tied together
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rush — hurry
  5. scale — size or range
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bound — certain
  13. scale — in music
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bound — obliged
  16. court — of a king
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. court — of law
  21. stem — to come from
  22. court — for sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. straw — a straw man

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