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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. swing — to play on
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. swing — music
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bound — tied together
  24. season — in 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