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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. kid — child
  4. plane — a tool
  5. ground — a position
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ball — a great time
  11. kid — to tease
  12. roll — a list
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. board — a committee
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. board — to get on
  24. bore — to drill

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