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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bank — for money
  3. swing — music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rash — hasty
  8. band — a music group
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. club — a group
  11. bank — for money
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. swing — to play on
  15. club — for golf
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. bore — to drill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bore — to tire
  24. band — a ring

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