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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 116 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. club — for golf
  3. cold — an illness
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cold — not warm
  10. ground — crushed
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ground — a position
  18. club — a group
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. club — for dancing
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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