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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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468
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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rash — a series
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stock — goods
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cell — in biology
  11. band — a ring
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stock — shares
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. chip — for betting
  17. band — a music group
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rash — hasty
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stock — a soup base
  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