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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pop — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pop — soda
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. suit — in cards
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cue — a signal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. suit — clothes
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bore — to tire
  20. swing — music
  21. suit — to fit
  22. net — for catching
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cue — for pool

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