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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 · season · rash · bark · bat · court · mate · key

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bat — the animal
  3. season — in sport
  4. rash — hasty
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. court — of a king
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rash — a series
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. season — of the year
  16. key — the most important part
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bark — to shout
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. key — in music
  24. bat — in an idiom

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