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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: present · bore · board · bat · fan · nail · craft · swing

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bat — the animal
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bore — to drill
  8. board — to get on
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. board — a committee
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. craft — boats
  21. present — there
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. present — a gift

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