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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. club — for golf
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wound — an injury
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. row — a line
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ground — a position
  24. dip — to dunk

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