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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. squash — to crush
  3. march — the month
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rest — a break
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. march — the month
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. degree — temperature
  13. march — music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. degree — from a university
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. squash — the vegetable

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