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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 116 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: kid · squash · rock · ruler · key · cap · mine · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mine — for digging
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rock — a stone
  6. key — for a lock
  7. firm — decided
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. squash — to crush
  13. key — the most important part
  14. kid — child
  15. firm — steady
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. key — in music
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rock — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kid — to tease

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