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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. deal — to handle
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ground — a position
  9. row — to paddle
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. squash — to crush
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. row — a line
  16. mark — a grade
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. game — a match
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. game — wild animals
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. deal — an agreement

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