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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — a grade
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. root — the cause
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. drill — a practice
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mate — a friend
  12. object — a thing
  13. root — of a word
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — to protest
  16. drill — army training
  17. mate — a partner
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mate — to breed
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. shower — rain
  24. mark — a trace

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