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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. scale — in music
  8. band — a ring
  9. bound — tied together
  10. spring — the season
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. game — a match
  13. bound — obliged
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stock — shares
  21. bound — certain
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stock — goods

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