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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: ruler · capital · hand · court · bulb · ball · bass · hide

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. court — of law
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. hand — help
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ball — a dance
  17. capital — a city
  18. hand — in cards
  19. capital — money
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bass — the fish
  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