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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. drill — a practice
  3. net — in sport
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. drill — the tool
  8. row — to paddle
  9. track — a path
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. net — after costs
  14. land — ground
  15. track — to keep track
  16. deal — to handle
  17. drill — army training
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. row — a line
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. track — a song
  24. net — for catching

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