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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. content — the amount
  3. shower — to wash
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mine — for digging
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. row — a line
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. row — to paddle
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. shower — rain
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wound — an injury

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