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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. board — a committee
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. spell — magic
  5. stock — shares
  6. can — to be able to
  7. drill — army training
  8. stock — goods
  9. drill — a practice
  10. board — to get on
  11. chest — a box
  12. can — a tin
  13. drill — the tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spell — letters
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. chest — of your body
  23. spell — a short time
  24. board — a flat piece

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