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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. track — a path
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stock — shares
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. track — to keep track
  12. season — of the year
  13. fork — in a road
  14. track — a song
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stock — goods
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. season — in sport

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