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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 120 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: arm · dip · club · shower · mate · stick · ruler · court

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. court — of a king
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. club — for golf
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. shower — rain
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mate — a friend
  13. dip — to sink
  14. court — of law
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. club — a group
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mate — to breed
  21. court — for sport
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — to dunk

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