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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. march — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. march — the month
  12. chest — a box
  13. scale — in music
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. season — in sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. march — the month
  18. chest — of your body
  19. season — of the year
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. scale — size or range
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. straw — a straw man

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