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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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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: bass · ruler · court · nail · wake · straw · game · firm

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. firm — steady
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — for sport
  8. bass — low music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. firm — a company
  11. bass — the fish
  12. game — a match
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wake — a trail
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. firm — decided
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. nail — for a hammer

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