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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: bowl · ruler · court · jam · cap · cell · fall · mine

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fall — the season
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cap — a lid
  13. fall — to drop
  14. court — of a king
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cap — of ice
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. court — for sport
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mine — for digging
  22. court — of law
  23. cap — a hat
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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