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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: fine · bat · ground · snap · cap · bore · ruler · race

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bore — to drill
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. bat — the animal
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ground — a position
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ground — the earth
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fine — all right
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bore — to tire

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