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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — all right
  5. swing — music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. shower — to wash
  8. scale — size or range
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. swing — in golf
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. scale — in music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bore — to tire
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fine — high quality
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. scale — for weighing

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