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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stock — shares
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. club — a group
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bore — to tire
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — to sink
  13. present — there
  14. bank — for money
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. present — the time now
  18. swing — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bank — of a river
  21. club — for golf
  22. stock — goods
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — a gift

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