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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. track — a path
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ball — a dance
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. band — a music group
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. track — to keep track
  16. track — a song
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer

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