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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. club — for golf
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — to get on
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fork — in a road
  8. club — a group
  9. board — a committee
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. deal — to handle
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cell — in biology
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. craft — boats
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. tube — a container

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