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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pop — music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. shower — rain
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. firm — steady
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mine — for digging
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pop — soda
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mine — an explosive

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