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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. present — the time now
  3. swing — music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. land — a country
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. present — there
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. land — ground
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. land — to come down
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. swing — in golf
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. swing — to play on
  22. present — a gift
  23. bat — the animal
  24. trunk — of a car

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