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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 116 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. prune — to trim
  8. stock — shares
  9. rush — hurry
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stock — goods
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. plane — a tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. prune — to trim
  16. game — a match
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rock — a stone
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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