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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. branch — a division
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ball — a great time
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ground — a position

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