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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: leaves · swing · rule · bore · spring · present · pitcher · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bore — to drill
  3. present — the time now
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rule — a law
  6. mug — to rob
  7. present — there
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. present — a gift
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rule — government
  16. swing — music
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. mug — a face
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. swing — to play on
  24. spring — a coil

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