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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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Word bank
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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: swing · pass · hand · mate · key · present · racket · bore

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hand — in cards
  5. swing — to play on
  6. present — there
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. key — in music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. swing — music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. hand — help
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. present — the time now

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