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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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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: dip · ruler · court · mate · racket · bowl · stand · kick

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mate — a friend
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. court — for sport
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. court — of a king
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. kick — in football
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mate — to breed
  22. dip — to sink
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mate — a partner

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