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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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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: mate · stick · bowl · row · race · ruler · roll · chip

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. race — a contest
  4. mate — a partner
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. row — a line
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. race — humankind
  14. roll — a cake
  15. race — the arms race
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mate — to breed
  21. roll — a list
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. row — to paddle

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