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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. can — a tin
  3. spring — a coil
  4. cue — for pool
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. club — for golf
  7. can — to be able to
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. spring — the season
  10. cue — a signal
  11. spring — of water
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. row — a line
  16. rock — a stone
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bore — to tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. cue — a hint
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. row — to paddle

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