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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. march — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pop — to visit
  6. date — the fruit
  7. march — the month
  8. bore — to drill
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. march — the month
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pop — music
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pop — soda
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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