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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. game — wild animals
  7. suit — clothes
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. game — a match
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. race — humankind
  14. bore — to tire
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. race — the arms race
  19. suit — to fit
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. race — a contest
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bowl — a dish

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