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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rule — a law
  9. ball — a dance
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rule — government
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. degree — from a university
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — a committee
  23. squash — the sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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