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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. roll — a list
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rule — government
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. band — a music group
  8. roll — a cake
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chair — a leader
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. band — a ring
  17. game — a match
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. rule — a law
  24. land — a country

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