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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. swing — to play on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. net — in sport
  5. pop — to visit
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. land — to come down
  11. swing — music
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pop — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. calf — a young animal

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