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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. club — for dancing
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pit — a hole
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. current — electric
  11. pit — in a race
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — of water
  14. club — for golf
  15. bore — to drill
  16. content — happy
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. snap — to click
  20. current — happening now
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. drill — army training
  23. content — the amount
  24. fan — to cool the air

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