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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: bulb · kid · court · racket · ruler · roll · mate · row

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mate — a partner
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. court — of law
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mate — a friend
  8. kid — to tease
  9. row — to paddle
  10. court — of a king
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bulb — for light
  13. roll — a list
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. kid — child
  17. mate — to breed
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. row — a line
  24. roll — a cake

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