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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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 — in golf
  2. staff — employees
  3. mine — for digging
  4. squash — the sport
  5. present — the time now
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. swing — to play on
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. present — there
  16. staff — employees
  17. rock — music
  18. present — a gift
  19. staff — a stick
  20. squash — to crush
  21. swing — music
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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