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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. row — a line
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. drill — the tool
  6. firm — decided
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. firm — a company
  9. perch — the fish
  10. drill — army training
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — steady
  15. can — a tin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. can — to be able to
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rest — what's left
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rest — a break
  23. drill — a practice
  24. ruler — for measuring

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