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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: season · date · sharp · swing · bore · saw · jam · arm

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. sharp — clever
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. season — of the year
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. season — in sport
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. swing — music
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. date — the fruit
  19. bore — to drill
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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