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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. club — for dancing
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. club — a group
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. club — for golf
  24. snap — to click

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