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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. tube — a container
  8. bore — to tire
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bore — to drill
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tube — the underground
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. vault — a safe
  24. perch — the fish

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