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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rash — hasty
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rash — a series
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. bound — certain
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mate — a friend
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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