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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. squash — to crush
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. board — a committee
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. cap — a lid
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mate — to breed
  18. board — to get on
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cap — a hat
  21. game — a match
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  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