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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. track — a path
  3. mine — for digging
  4. object — an aim
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. track — to keep track
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. can — a tin
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. track — a song
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. sharp — clever
  15. object — a thing
  16. bat — the animal
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. object — to protest
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. game — a kind of play

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