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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 116 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: lie · ruler · stick · bulb · court · object · game · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. game — wild animals
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. object — an aim
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. object — a thing
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. court — of a king
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. game — a match
  15. craft — boats
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lie — to recline
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. object — to protest
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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