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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: rush · cell · court · ground · staff · lean · ruler · bat

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. court — for sport
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lean — thin
  5. ground — the earth
  6. staff — employees
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. cell — in biology
  10. court — of a king
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. court — of law
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. ground — a position
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. staff — employees
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bat — the animal

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