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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 116 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pop — music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. swing — in golf
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. track — a song
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. board — a committee
  13. track — a path
  14. bore — to tire
  15. board — to get on
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mine — an explosive

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