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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. swing — to play on
  7. fork — in a road
  8. degree — from a university
  9. kid — child
  10. bore — to tire
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — crushed
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. swing — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kid — to tease
  19. degree — an amount
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. degree — temperature
  24. swing — in golf

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