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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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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: court · kid · wave · jam · hide · can · ruler · date

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. court — for sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. court — of law
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kid — child
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. kid — to tease
  16. can — a tin
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. can — a tin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. court — of a king
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. date — the fruit
  24. ruler — for measuring

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