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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 116 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: cap · court · staff · ruler · stick · fork · suit · cell

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fork — in a road
  12. staff — employees
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cell — a phone
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. court — of a king
  20. staff — employees
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cap — of ice
  24. suit — in cards

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