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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. ground — a position
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bore — to drill
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. swing — music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bat — in an idiom

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