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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mine — for digging
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. club — a group
  7. date — the fruit
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. club — for golf
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bore — to tire
  22. roll — a list
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. date — on the calendar

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