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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: rock · bat · bore · face · ruler · fine · game · land

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. land — ground
  3. fine — all right
  4. face — to confront
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. game — a match
  7. land — a country
  8. bore — to tire
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bat — the animal
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rock — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. land — to come down
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. fine — a penalty

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