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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. swing — to play on
  6. track — a song
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. content — the amount
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bore — to tire
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. swing — in golf
  21. track — a path
  22. content — happy
  23. swing — music
  24. chair — a leader

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