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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spell — letters
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ball — a dance
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ball — a great time
  14. scale — size or range
  15. chest — a box
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. spell — a short time
  19. scale — in music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spell — magic
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bay — a horse colour

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