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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: fork · cue · arm · bore · swing · season · pound · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  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. present — the time now
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pound — a weight
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. season — of the year
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. season — in sport
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cue — for pool
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  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