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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: jam · mine · firm · ruler · court · leaves · bay · perch

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. court — for sport
  3. firm — steady
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. court — of law
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. firm — a company
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. firm — decided
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. court — of a king
  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