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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. club — a group
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bore — to drill
  10. club — for golf
  11. bore — to tire
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. band — a music group
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. season — in sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wax — in the ear

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