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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ground — the earth
  4. firm — steady
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ground — crushed
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. scale — size or range
  13. firm — decided
  14. bore — to tire
  15. firm — a company
  16. bore — to drill
  17. sharp — clever
  18. band — a ring
  19. scale — in music
  20. ground — a position
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a music group
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cell — in biology

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