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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. chest — of your body
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. chest — a box
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rock — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wake — a trail
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bore — to tire
  24. chip — to eat

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