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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. sharp — with an edge
  3. land — ground
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pop — soda
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pop — music
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fine — all right
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pop — to visit
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. fine — high quality
  23. foot — the bottom
  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