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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bore — to drill
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. sharp — clever
  10. date — the fruit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. key — in music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rest — what's left
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rest — what's left
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rest — a break
  24. patient — a sick person

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