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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: swing · roll · march · net · dip · prune · safe · bore

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. prune — to trim
  3. dip — to sink
  4. march — the month
  5. net — after costs
  6. bore — to tire
  7. march — music
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — to play on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bore — to drill
  14. swing — music
  15. roll — a list
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. swing — in golf
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. net — for catching
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — in sport

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