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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. hand — help
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pitch — completely
  13. hand — in cards
  14. cue — for pool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cue — a signal
  24. swing — music

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