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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. key — the most important part
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ground — a position
  7. key — for a lock
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. key — in music
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. land — ground
  15. mark — a trace
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. land — a country
  20. ground — the earth
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mark — a grade
  24. land — to come down

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