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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · rash · rock · chair · bay · mug · court · sharp

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rash — a series
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. chair — a leader
  7. court — of law
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rock — music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mug — a face
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rock — a stone
  21. court — of a king
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bay — a horse colour

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