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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. swing — in golf
  4. game — a match
  5. swing — music
  6. bore — to drill
  7. drill — the tool
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. vault — a safe
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spring — of water
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. drill — army training
  16. swing — to play on
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. game — wild animals
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spring — the season

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