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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. capital — a city
  4. perch — the fish
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. squash — the sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. swing — music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fine — high quality
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bore — to tire
  22. capital — money
  23. mark — a grade
  24. perch — for a bird

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