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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. swing — to play on
  5. net — after costs
  6. swing — in golf
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cue — for pool
  9. net — in sport
  10. bore — to tire
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rock — music
  13. swing — music
  14. net — for catching
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — a stone
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bore — to drill
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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