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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. land — to come down
  6. hand — help
  7. saw — the tool
  8. track — a song
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — in cards
  13. band — a ring
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. land — ground
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. land — a country
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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