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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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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: bore · pop · mine · file · wake · pitcher · craft · swing

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bore — to drill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a document
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wake — a trail
  10. craft — boats
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. file — a tool
  18. pop — music
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pop — soda
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pop — to visit
  23. swing — music
  24. craft — a handicraft

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