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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. swing — in golf
  3. club — for golf
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. swing — to play on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rash — a series
  12. club — a group
  13. ball — a dance
  14. club — for dancing
  15. race — humankind
  16. snap — to click
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ball — a great time
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. swing — music

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