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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: jam · court · deal · wake · march · ruler · bound · rest

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. court — of law
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rest — a break
  8. wake — a trail
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. court — for sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bound — certain
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. deal — to handle
  23. court — of a king
  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