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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. suit — in cards
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. band — a music group
  9. pound — a weight
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. band — a ring
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. swing — music
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. suit — to fit
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mine — for digging

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