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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. present — the time now
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. foot — a measure
  8. scale — size or range
  9. game — wild animals
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mug — a cup
  14. craft — boats
  15. scale — in music
  16. present — there
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — a match
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. present — a gift
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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