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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cue — for pool
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. land — to come down
  6. cue — a hint
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. land — ground
  9. spring — the season
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. land — a country
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spring — of water
  16. cue — a signal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. spring — a coil
  23. game — a match
  24. pit — in a race

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