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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: court · fan · board · ruler · last · kid · object · rush

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — to go on
  3. court — of a king
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. court — of law
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. object — an aim
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kid — child
  12. board — to get on
  13. court — for sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. object — a thing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. last — finally
  18. rush — hurry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. kid — to tease
  23. object — to protest
  24. last — final

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