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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. capital — a city
  3. net — for catching
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cap — of ice
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. swing — music
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bore — to tire
  15. swing — to play on
  16. net — after costs
  17. sharp — clever
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — in sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cap — a lid
  23. capital — money
  24. racket — a loud noise

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