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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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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: rash · deal · court · toast · tube · row · ruler · cold

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. tube — the underground
  10. court — of law
  11. cold — not warm
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cold — an illness
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rash — a series
  20. toast — bread
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. tube — a container
  24. row — a line

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