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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: ruler · pop · safe · straw · court · staff · scale · fan

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. staff — employees
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pop — music
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pop — soda
  10. scale — size or range
  11. court — for sport
  12. pop — to visit
  13. staff — a stick
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. court — of a king
  22. scale — in music
  23. court — of law
  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