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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. swing — music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rash — a series
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. game — a match
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rash — hasty
  19. file — a tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. file — a document
  24. game — wild animals

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