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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wind — moving air
  6. net — for catching
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. net — after costs
  9. bore — to tire
  10. staff — a stick
  11. club — for golf
  12. game — wild animals
  13. staff — employees
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. club — a group
  16. season — in sport
  17. game — a match
  18. staff — employees
  19. suit — clothes
  20. net — in sport
  21. suit — in cards
  22. season — of the year
  23. bore — to drill
  24. suit — to fit

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