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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. spring — the season
  6. staff — a stick
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chip — to eat
  10. swing — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bore — to tire
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bore — to drill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. staff — employees
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. staff — employees
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. trunk — of a car

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