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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bore — to drill
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. dip — to sink
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. date — the fruit
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. club — a group
  24. bore — to tire

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