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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: plane · object · game · straw · ruler · track · land · deal

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. land — to come down
  3. track — a path
  4. object — to protest
  5. track — to keep track
  6. deal — to handle
  7. plane — a tool
  8. track — a song
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. game — a match
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. game — wild animals
  14. object — a thing
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. land — a country
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. object — an aim
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — ground
  24. deal — a big deal

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