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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mark — a trace
  4. club — for golf
  5. sharp — clever
  6. swing — to play on
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. band — a music group
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. band — a ring
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mark — a grade
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. swing — music

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