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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. swing — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bore — to drill
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chair — a leader
  8. court — of law
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wound — an injury
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. swing — in golf
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. swing — to play on
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. branch — a division
  24. bore — to tire

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