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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: court · cap · ruler · bore · cell · sharp · fork · deal

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — a hat
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. sharp — clever
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fork — in a road
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bore — to tire
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. court — of a king

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