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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ball — a dance
  6. deal — to handle
  7. march — the month
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mine — for digging
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rush — hurry
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. march — music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. ball — a great time
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ground — a position

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