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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 124 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. squash — to crush
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. squash — the sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. sharp — clever
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. drill — army training

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