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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. game — a match
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fork — in a road
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. rest — a break
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fork — to eat with

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