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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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. date — the fruit
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. toast — bread
  6. ground — a position
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. object — a thing
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. deal — to handle
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ground — crushed
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ground — the earth
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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