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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. staff — employees
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. staff — a stick
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. track — a path
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. race — humankind
  14. bass — low music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. track — a song
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. track — to keep track
  21. race — a contest
  22. staff — employees
  23. race — the arms race
  24. toast — bread

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