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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bore — to drill
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. drill — army training
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ball — a great time
  11. drill — a practice
  12. charge — in control
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bore — to tire
  16. swing — music
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. drill — the tool

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