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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rock — a stone
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chip — for betting
  17. march — music
  18. hand — help
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. march — the month
  21. chip — to eat
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mate — a partner

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