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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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fork — in a road
  5. press — to push
  6. cue — for pool
  7. press — a publisher
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pop — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. game — a match
  13. pop — soda
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — shares

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