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

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. swing — in golf
  4. tube — the underground
  5. swing — to play on
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. perch — the fish
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. tube — a container
  14. squash — to crush
  15. swing — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. row — to paddle
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. squash — the sport

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