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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · bowl · kid · pit · ruler · rest · straw · board

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pop — soda
  6. board — to get on
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pit — a hole
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. rest — what's left
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. kid — child
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rest — a break
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — music
  24. board — a committee

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