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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. board — to get on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rule — government
  14. bat — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee

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