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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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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: staff · roll · pit · can · mine · row · hand · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. roll — a list
  4. can — to be able to
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pit — a hole
  7. roll — a cake
  8. hand — in cards
  9. can — a tin
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. staff — employees
  14. hand — help
  15. mine — for digging
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pit — in a race
  19. row — a line
  20. can — a tin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. staff — employees
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. mine — an explosive

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