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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — wild animals
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. mug — to rob
  16. game — a match
  17. ball — a dance
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bark — of a tree
  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