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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. perch — the fish
  5. shower — rain
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. board — a committee
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. shower — to wash
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. band — a ring
  15. last — finally
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. ball — a dance
  21. board — to get on
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. perch — for a bird
  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