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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. shower — rain
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. land — a country
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. land — to come down
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. land — ground
  20. shower — to wash
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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