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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. scale — in music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. swing — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pit — in a race
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. swing — to play on
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pit — a hole

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