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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bound — certain
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rash — a series
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ground — a position
  7. band — a ring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. drill — army training
  14. bound — obliged
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bound — tied together
  20. root — of a word
  21. band — a music group
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. root — the cause
  24. ground — crushed

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