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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. kid — child
  6. cap — a hat
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. hand — in cards
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bore — to tire
  11. swing — to play on
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. hand — help
  16. cap — of ice
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pop — music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bore — to drill
  23. dip — to sink
  24. kid — to tease

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