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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.

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: wound · foot · drill · game · scale · land · chair · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. land — to come down
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. land — ground
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — army training
  11. foot — a measure
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. chair — a leader
  18. drill — a practice
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. scale — in music
  22. land — a country
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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