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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. squash — the sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a ring
  8. can — a tin
  9. roll — a cake
  10. chip — to eat
  11. squash — to crush
  12. prune — to trim
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. roll — a list
  15. prune — to trim
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. chip — for betting
  19. can — to be able to
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. band — a music group
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — the fruit

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