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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: object · court · squash · bay · ruler · land · can · toast

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. squash — to crush
  3. can — to be able to
  4. squash — the sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. court — for sport
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. object — a thing
  12. court — of law
  13. object — an aim
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. object — to protest
  19. land — to come down
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. can — a tin
  24. ruler — a monarch

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