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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. land — ground
  3. march — the month
  4. prune — to trim
  5. land — a country
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. march — music
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — magic
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. land — to come down
  14. board — to get on
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. hand — help
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. spell — letters
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. board — a committee
  23. hand — in cards
  24. spell — a short time

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