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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fine — all right
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. hand — in cards
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hand — help
  19. bass — low music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. leaves — to go away

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