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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. swing — in golf
  3. drill — army training
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. swing — music
  6. capital — money
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. game — a match
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. game — wild animals
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. squash — the sport
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. capital — a city
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. drill — a practice
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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