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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: land · ball · hand · ruler · bay · club · rash · fine

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. land — ground
  5. hand — in cards
  6. land — a country
  7. fine — high quality
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. hand — help
  17. fine — all right
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ball — a great time
  21. land — to come down
  22. rash — a series
  23. ball — a dance
  24. hand — part of the body

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