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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · swing · bore · nail · coach · spell · game · current

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. game — a match
  3. swing — in golf
  4. spell — a short time
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bore — to drill
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. game — wild animals
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spell — magic
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. swing — to play on
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spell — letters
  17. current — electric
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. swing — music
  20. current — of water
  21. deal — to handle
  22. current — happening now
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bore — to tire

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