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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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. track — a song
  4. foot — a measure
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. band — a ring
  9. track — a path
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. track — to keep track
  13. club — a group
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. band — a music group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bore — to drill
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bore — to tire
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rock — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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