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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. kick — in football
  9. mark — a trace
  10. net — in sport
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. net — after costs
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. kid — to tease
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mark — a grade
  19. net — for catching
  20. kid — child
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rest — a break
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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