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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 124 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. object — a thing
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. object — an aim
  7. ground — crushed
  8. object — to protest
  9. kid — to tease
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. game — a match
  12. kid — child
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. squash — to crush
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. squash — the sport
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. net — for catching
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. net — in sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. net — after costs
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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