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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bore — to tire
  4. staff — employees
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. club — a group
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bore — to drill
  12. drill — army training
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. staff — employees
  15. club — for dancing
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. staff — a stick
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chair — a leader
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. snap — to click
  24. leaves — to go away

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