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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ground — a position
  7. wax — to grow
  8. board — to get on
  9. shower — rain
  10. last — finally
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. last — final
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. ground — crushed
  20. board — a committee
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. ground — the earth

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