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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. present — a gift
  8. ball — a dance
  9. swing — music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bore — to tire
  15. branch — a division
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. present — there
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bore — to drill
  22. present — the time now
  23. ball — a great time
  24. swing — to play on

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