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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. root — the cause
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bore — to tire
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. roll — a cake
  11. kick — in football
  12. bore — to drill
  13. roll — a list
  14. swing — music
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. root — of a word
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. root — of a plant

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