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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. object — a thing
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — after costs
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ground — a position
  8. march — music
  9. ground — crushed
  10. march — the month
  11. game — a match
  12. race — humankind
  13. object — to protest
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. race — the arms race
  18. object — an aim
  19. march — the month
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ground — the earth
  23. game — wild animals
  24. race — a contest

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