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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: cue · court · fine · chip · ground · ruler · bore · jam

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. court — of a king
  3. fine — all right
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ground — a position
  8. court — for sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cue — a signal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cue — a hint
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. ground — crushed
  19. ground — the earth
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. court — of law

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