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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pop — soda
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pop — music
  15. row — to paddle
  16. date — the fruit
  17. row — a line
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wax — to grow

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