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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. track — to keep track
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — of water
  9. cue — for pool
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spring — the season
  17. track — a song
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. track — a path
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pass — a permit
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. temple — a place of worship

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