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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cap — a hat
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. game — a match
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bore — to drill
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fork — to eat with

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