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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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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: ruler · deal · firm · wound · bowl · mine · game · last

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. firm — decided
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wound — an injury
  8. firm — a company
  9. last — finally
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. last — final
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. game — wild animals
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wound — an injury
  22. last — to go on
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ruler — for measuring

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