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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. march — the month
  5. land — to come down
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cue — a signal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — to play on
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. march — music
  15. land — ground
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. swing — music
  18. cue — for pool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cue — a hint
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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