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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. court — for sport
  4. race — humankind
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ball — a dance
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. race — a contest
  10. drill — a practice
  11. game — a match
  12. court — of a king
  13. ball — a great time
  14. drill — the tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. race — the arms race
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. drill — army training
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. court — of law
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. game — wild animals

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