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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. net — for catching
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — after costs
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. kid — to tease
  12. can — a tin
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. can — a tin
  18. net — in sport
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. can — to be able to
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. game — a match

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