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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. swing — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. hand — help
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hand — in cards
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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