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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spring — the season
  3. land — ground
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. march — the month
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. spring — a coil
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. season — of the year
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. land — a country
  15. spring — of water
  16. bat — the animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. march — music
  19. spell — letters
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. spell — magic
  22. land — to come down
  23. march — the month
  24. season — to add flavour

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