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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. game — a match
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. swing — to play on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pit — in a race
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. swing — in golf
  19. hand — help
  20. pit — a hole
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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