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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. kick — in football
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. game — a match
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bass — low music
  8. bound — tied together
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ground — a position
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. lean — thin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bound — certain
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bass — the fish

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