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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: racket · chair · rush · date · saw · ruler · fork · shower

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. shower — to wash
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — in a road
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. saw — the tool
  13. shower — rain
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rush — hurry
  20. saw — the tool
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. chair — a leader
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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