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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: ball · deal · march · row · rash · mouse · tube · ruler

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. march — the month
  7. row — a line
  8. tube — the underground
  9. march — music
  10. tube — a container
  11. march — the month
  12. rash — a series
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ball — a dance
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. deal — to handle

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