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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 · chest · prune · hide · bowl · ruler · kick · board

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. board — to get on
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. court — of law
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a committee
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. court — of a king
  20. kick — in football
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. court — for sport
  24. board — a flat piece

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