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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: kid · ruler · court · lean · squash · firm · bulb · game

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. game — a match
  3. kid — child
  4. court — of law
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. court — of a king
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. squash — the sport
  10. court — for sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. squash — to crush
  15. firm — decided
  16. lean — thin
  17. firm — a company
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. firm — steady
  24. game — wild animals

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