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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pop — soda
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — wild animals
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — to visit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mate — to breed
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. kid — to tease
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. game — a match
  21. kid — child
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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