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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: wake · fan · ruler · ground · fine · court · row · foot

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. row — a line
  5. court — of law
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ground — crushed
  8. court — of a king
  9. ground — a position
  10. foot — a measure
  11. row — to paddle
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fine — all right
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. court — for sport

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