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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. snap — to click
  8. ball — a great time
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rule — a law
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pound — a weight
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rule — government
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. saw — the tool

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