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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bore — to tire
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wound — an injury
  6. craft — a skill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. file — a tool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. club — a group
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. craft — boats

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