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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: bore · deal · capital · toast · hide · racket · swing · row

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. row — a line
  3. bore — to tire
  4. toast — bread
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — in golf
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. row — to paddle
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. swing — music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — money
  22. deal — to handle
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. capital — a big letter

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