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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: dip · ruler · pop · racket · mate · mine · deal · board

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. board — to get on
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pop — soda
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pop — music
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mate — a partner
  14. board — a committee
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ruler — for measuring

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