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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. file — a document
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bore — to drill
  9. file — a line of people
  10. spring — of water
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spring — the season
  13. rock — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. race — humankind
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pop — music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bore — to tire
  22. race — a contest
  23. file — a tool
  24. rock — a stone

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