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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cap — a lid
  5. clip — a video
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cold — not warm
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bass — low music
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. clip — to cut
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. mouse — the animal

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