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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 · bore · content · spring · fine · row · safe · bowl

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bore — to tire
  16. content — happy
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — the amount
  20. bore — to drill
  21. row — a line
  22. swing — music
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bowl — to roll

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