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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. press — to push
  6. swing — music
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ground — a position
  9. rock — a stone
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. net — for catching
  16. ground — crushed
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. dip — to sink
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rock — music
  22. net — after costs
  23. swing — to play on
  24. press — a publisher

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