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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. roll — a cake
  5. march — music
  6. land — to come down
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. march — the month
  9. band — a ring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. march — the month
  15. land — ground
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. land — a country
  22. roll — a list
  23. ball — a great time
  24. band — a music group

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