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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · track · game · race · tear · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. track — a song
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tear — from crying
  5. track — to keep track
  6. tear — to rip
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. race — humankind
  13. game — a match
  14. track — a path
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. game — a kind of play

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