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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: ruler · board · mate · spring · kid · squash · net · rock

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. net — after costs
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. net — for catching
  10. rock — music
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. net — in sport
  14. spring — of water
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mate — to breed
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. squash — to crush
  24. board — a flat piece

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