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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: stick · bat · branch · rush · object · bore · pit · swing

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. object — to protest
  4. swing — to play on
  5. object — an aim
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. swing — music
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pit — in a race
  11. swing — in golf
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — the animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. object — a thing
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bore — gave birth

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