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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: band · club · ruler · court · bowl · race · bat · safe

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. race — humankind
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. club — for golf
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. court — of a king
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. court — of law
  16. club — a group
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. band — a ring
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. band — a music group
  21. court — for sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bat — the animal
  24. race — a contest

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