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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bass — the fish
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rash — a series
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cold — an illness
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cold — not warm
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bass — low music
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hand — help
  23. rash — hasty
  24. date — 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