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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. club — a group
  3. stand — to bear
  4. file — a tool
  5. rule — government
  6. club — for golf
  7. rule — a law
  8. bulb — for light
  9. file — a document
  10. bore — to drill
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bore — to tire
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — a football final
  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