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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. land — ground
  3. club — a group
  4. current — electric
  5. staff — employees
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — happening now
  10. cold — an illness
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rock — music
  15. land — to come down
  16. current — of water
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. staff — a stick
  23. land — a country
  24. club — for golf

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