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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cold — an illness
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. mark — a trace
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cold — not warm
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. firm — decided
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. scale — in music
  20. firm — a company
  21. bore — to drill
  22. swing — in golf
  23. firm — steady
  24. bore — to tire

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