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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rule — a law
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pop — music
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. swing — music
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. swing — in golf
  14. face — to point toward
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pop — to visit
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rule — government
  23. face — to confront
  24. pop — soda

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