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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rest — a break
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. track — a song
  16. rest — what's left
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rock — music
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. track — a path

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