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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bore — to tire
  3. staff — employees
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. club — for golf
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. club — for dancing
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mine — for digging
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bore — to drill
  21. staff — a stick
  22. club — a group
  23. staff — employees
  24. swing — music

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