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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. bass — the fish
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pound — a weight
  7. clip — a video
  8. object — a thing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. object — to protest
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. field — farmland
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. field — for sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bass — low music
  20. prune — to trim
  21. field — a subject
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. prune — the fruit

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