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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rash — a series
  4. scale — size or range
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. scale — in music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. shower — to wash
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. tube — a container
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. swing — to play on
  21. board — to get on
  22. perch — the fish
  23. shower — rain
  24. perch — for a bird

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