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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: firm · game · branch · land · ruler · wound · cap · drill

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. firm — a company
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. firm — steady
  8. wound — an injury
  9. drill — army training
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — wild animals
  13. drill — the tool
  14. land — to come down
  15. game — a match
  16. land — ground
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. drill — a practice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. firm — decided
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cap — a hat
  24. branch — a division

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