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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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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. board — a committee
  3. face — to confront
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. shower — rain
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. board — to get on
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. face — part of the head
  12. shower — to wash
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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