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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 124 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pop — soda
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pop — music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. craft — boats
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pop — to visit
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — in music

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