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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. press — to push
  5. bore — to drill
  6. swing — in golf
  7. spell — magic
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. hand — help
  11. spell — letters
  12. present — there
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spell — a short time
  15. hand — in cards
  16. press — a publisher
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. press — newspapers
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bore — to tire
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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