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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: content · sharp · board · club · court · row · object · ruler

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. row — a line
  3. club — for dancing
  4. object — to protest
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. object — a thing
  11. court — of law
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. board — a committee
  14. row — to paddle
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. club — a group
  18. object — an aim
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. board — to get on
  21. content — the amount
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. club — for golf
  24. ruler — a monarch

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