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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. club — for golf
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. club — a group
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. last — final
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. file — a document
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. last — finally
  18. file — a tool
  19. wake — a trail
  20. file — a line of people
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. club — for dancing
  24. last — to go on

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