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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · fan · march · mouse · object · club · ground · ruler

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. march — the month
  6. club — a group
  7. march — music
  8. club — for golf
  9. ground — a position
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. object — a thing
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. march — the month
  15. object — an aim
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. object — to protest
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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