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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 116 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. game — wild animals
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ball — a dance
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. hand — help
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — in cards
  20. game — a match
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ball — a great time
  24. key — for a lock

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