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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. game — wild animals
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rule — a law
  12. craft — a skill
  13. ground — a position
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. game — a match
  18. craft — boats
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ground — crushed

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