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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: ruler · content · court · craft · wake · band · rest · chip

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. band — a music group
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. court — for sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rest — a break
  10. craft — boats
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chip — to eat
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — happy
  16. band — a ring
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rest — what's left
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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