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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. bore — to drill
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — a division
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. drill — the tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bore — to tire

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