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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bore — to tire
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bore — to drill
  5. game — a match
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. toast — bread
  11. cold — an illness
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cold — not warm
  16. band — a ring
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. band — a music group
  23. pound — a weight
  24. ruler — for measuring

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