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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. object — to protest
  4. rock — a stone
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. capital — a city
  8. rock — music
  9. capital — money
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. net — after costs
  13. pop — music
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — a thing
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. bark — to shout
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. object — an aim
  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