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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: ruler · ground · court · calf · pitcher · present · cue · date

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. court — of a king
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. present — the time now
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — for pool
  9. court — for sport
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. present — there
  12. cue — a hint
  13. date — the fruit
  14. ground — a position
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. court — of law
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. present — a gift
  24. ruler — a monarch

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