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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. scale — in music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. wound — an injury
  16. spell — magic
  17. bat — the animal
  18. toast — bread
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wound — an injury
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bowl — a dish

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