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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. game — a match
  4. club — a group
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fork — in a road
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bore — to drill
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bore — to tire
  18. swing — to play on
  19. present — there
  20. club — for golf
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. swing — music
  24. row — a line

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