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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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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. hand — help
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. capital — money
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bore — to tire
  10. hand — in cards
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bore — to drill
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. capital — a city
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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