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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. cap — of ice
  3. shower — to wash
  4. kid — child
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. track — a path
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. track — to keep track
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. track — a song
  13. cap — a lid
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. shower — rain
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kid — to tease
  19. band — a ring
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. band — a music group
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cap — a hat

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