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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 120 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: swing · chair · bore · key · bulb · drill · kick · club

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. key — for a lock
  3. drill — army training
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kick — in football
  6. bore — to tire
  7. club — for golf
  8. swing — to play on
  9. club — for dancing
  10. drill — a practice
  11. swing — in golf
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. key — in music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. drill — the tool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. swing — music
  23. club — a group
  24. chair — a leader

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