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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: court · cap · root · bore · wound · rock · swing · fall

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cap — a hat
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — a stone
  7. swing — to play on
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fall — the season
  11. court — of law
  12. root — the cause
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cap — a lid
  17. court — for sport
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. root — of a word
  20. cap — of ice
  21. court — of a king
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rock — music
  24. swing — in golf

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