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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 120 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. band — a music group
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. spring — of water
  8. land — to come down
  9. stock — shares
  10. spring — a coil
  11. band — a ring
  12. land — a country
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. spring — the season
  15. stock — goods
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. scale — size or range
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rock — a stone
  20. club — a group
  21. rock — music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. land — ground
  24. bore — to tire

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