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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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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: prune · net · cap · drill · bore · can · chair · swing

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cap — of ice
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bore — to drill
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. net — for catching
  11. can — to be able to
  12. drill — the tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. can — a tin
  17. drill — a practice
  18. can — a tin
  19. net — after costs
  20. prune — to trim
  21. net — in sport
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. swing — to play on

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