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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fine — high quality
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cap — a lid
  5. game — wild animals
  6. firm — steady
  7. present — a gift
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. present — the time now
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. firm — decided
  13. face — to confront
  14. fine — all right
  15. rash — a series
  16. game — a match
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. present — there
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. firm — a company

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