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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bass — low music
  3. last — to go on
  4. march — the month
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wind — moving air
  9. last — final
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pit — in a race
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — finally
  21. cap — a lid
  22. march — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cap — of ice

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