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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pop — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kick — in football
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. pop — soda
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. press — to push
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mate — a friend
  18. press — newspapers
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. press — a publisher
  22. swing — music
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — to breed

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