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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.

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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. 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. ruler — for measuring
  2. scale — in music
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. row — a line
  6. cell — in biology
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. capital — money
  15. scale — size or range
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. capital — a city
  18. kick — in football
  19. board — to get on
  20. cell — a phone
  21. row — to paddle
  22. track — a song
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. 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