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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. net — after costs
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. suit — clothes
  5. swing — music
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. march — music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pit — a hole
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — to play on
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bore — to tire
  14. march — the month
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. vault — a safe
  17. swing — in golf
  18. net — for catching
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. net — in sport
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pit — in a race

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