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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 water is too ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. club — a group
  3. cold — an illness
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. game — a match
  7. bore — to tire
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — for golf
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bore — to drill
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fan — to cool the air

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