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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. race — humankind
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bass — low music
  8. rule — a law
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pound — a weight
  12. rule — government
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. race — a contest
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. race — the arms race

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