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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: last · wound · jam · bound · plane · racket · ruler · court

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bound — obliged
  9. last — to go on
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. court — of law
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. last — finally
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. plane — a tool
  24. last — final

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