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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. clip — a video
  3. swing — in golf
  4. object — an aim
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bore — to tire
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. swing — music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. clip — to cut
  12. object — to protest
  13. clip — for paper
  14. swing — to play on
  15. field — farmland
  16. object — a thing
  17. field — for sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. field — a subject
  20. toast — bread
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mug — a face
  24. stand — for spectators

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