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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: pit · ball · band · tube · arm · tear · court · ruler

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tube — a container
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. band — a ring
  10. ball — a great time
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. tear — from crying
  14. pit — in a race
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pit — a hole
  18. tear — from crying
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. band — a music group

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