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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. club — a group
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — for golf
  19. rest — a break
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bat — the animal
  24. club — for dancing

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