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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 · spring · court · rest · game · nail · stick · wake

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. court — for sport
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. court — of law
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. game — a match
  11. rest — a break
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spring — of water
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rest — what's left
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. court — of a king
  24. rest — what's left

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