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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. file — a tool
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cue — a signal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. file — a document
  11. root — the cause
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. foot — a measure
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cue — a hint
  16. race — humankind
  17. ground — a position
  18. race — a contest
  19. root — of a word
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. file — a line of people
  24. foot — the bottom

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