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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cap — a hat
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. net — in sport
  5. swing — to play on
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bore — to tire
  8. swing — music
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cap — a lid
  11. season — of the year
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bore — to drill
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. net — after costs
  17. season — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cap — of ice
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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