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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. present — there
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. scale — in music
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. game — a match
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. present — the time now
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — shares
  17. present — a gift
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. game — wild animals
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stock — goods

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