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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. root — the cause
  5. net — after costs
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitch — completely
  11. net — in sport
  12. swing — music
  13. march — the month
  14. root — of a word
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. march — music
  17. root — of a plant
  18. sharp — clever
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. march — the month
  22. net — for catching
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. swing — to play on

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