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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ground — a position
  4. spring — the season
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ground — the earth
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. spring — a coil
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. ground — crushed
  13. spring — of water
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bound — certain
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. court — for sport
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — obliged
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — government

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