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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bound — certain
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. band — a ring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. squash — to crush
  7. firm — steady
  8. bound — tied together
  9. game — wild animals
  10. track — a song
  11. band — a music group
  12. last — final
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. bound — obliged
  18. track — to keep track
  19. last — finally
  20. track — a path
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. last — to go on
  23. firm — decided
  24. band — a rubber band

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