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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.

Make a worksheet

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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rest — what's left
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ruler — for measuring

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