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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bass — the fish
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. bass — low music
  8. march — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pop — to visit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pop — music
  14. chip — to eat
  15. firm — steady
  16. chip — for betting
  17. hand — help
  18. march — the month
  19. pop — soda
  20. perch — the fish
  21. march — the month
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. perch — for a bird

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