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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. race — humankind
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. land — ground
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — a signal
  13. race — a contest
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. race — the arms race
  17. cue — for pool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. land — to come down
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fan — a supporter

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