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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. club — for golf
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. prune — to trim
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bore — to drill
  11. club — for dancing
  12. craft — boats
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bass — the fish
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. craft — a skill
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. club — a group

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