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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: net · jam · wake · bore · key · swing · bowl · tube

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. tube — the underground
  3. net — in sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. net — after costs
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. key — in music
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — a trail
  12. swing — music
  13. tube — a container
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. key — the most important part
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. net — for catching
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. key — for a lock

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