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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cell — a phone
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. last — to go on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. ruler — for measuring

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