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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mark — a grade
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mark — a trace
  12. track — a path
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spring — the season
  15. craft — boats
  16. spring — of water
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. track — a song
  24. craft — a skill

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