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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bore — to drill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. club — a group
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bore — to tire
  17. fine — high quality
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bulb — for light
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. calf — a young animal

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