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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. roll — a cake
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. current — electric
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. pit — a hole
  12. vault — a safe
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. current — happening now
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cold — not warm
  22. roll — a list
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pit — in a race

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