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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. game — a match
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. content — happy
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mark — a trace
  14. content — the amount
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mark — a grade
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. content — videos and posts

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