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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. swing — music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bore — to tire
  6. board — a committee
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bat — the animal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. swing — to play on
  12. board — to get on
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. club — for golf
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. club — a group
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. swing — in golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. saw — the tool

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