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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lean — thin
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — army training
  15. stock — shares
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — goods

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