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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: court · bear · clip · arm · roll · bowl · ruler · firm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. firm — decided
  8. court — for sport
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. roll — a list
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bear — the animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. court — of a king
  21. clip — to cut
  22. court — of law
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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